In My Darkest Hour (Discontinued)
by Typhlosion8
Summary: Team Rocket is finally in control. The Rebels can only do so much, but the Alliance is crumbling to dust. Soon, Team Rocket will rule the world. But one person is stopping them. One of their own. I am Ash Satoshi Ketchum, Pokémon Master and the world's last hope. This is my story. This is my life now. (REWRITE NOW STARTING ON MY PAGE!)
1. Prepare For Trouble

**UPDATE:**** I recently redid this chapter and fixed up the writing style, which was large blocks of writing. I noticed one day looking at my Traffic Graph for this story that I got over 2,000 people that read this chapter, but the numbers decline after that. I hope that you readers out there liked it, and if not, please tell me why by review or PM. I'm considering rewriting this story, so it's good to have feedback. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokèmon. I do own all the funny parts in this story, and a chocolate bar. And if you sue me, that's all you'll get. And do you really want a melted KitKat?**

* * *

Ash's POV

After my loss at the Lily of the Valley Conference to Tobias, I didn't know what to do. Brock had decided to become a Pokèmon Doctor, Dawn was going to Johto to try and win the Grand Festival there, and me, I had no idea. After calling Professor Oak, he suggested going to the region of Unova, but it seemed too soon for another journey. That was when Gary appeared on the screen.

_ "Why don't you collect the Kanto Badges again? Last time you got into the Top 16, but in Sinnoh, you got to the Top 4! You've had experience, now why don't you try to win?"_ he told me.

"Good idea. Thanks Gary." I replied.

_"Anytime, Ashy-boy!"_ And the screen went black.

So after a long ferry ride to Kanto, I arrived in Vermillion City. "Remember this place, buddy? It's where you defeated that Raichu." I called out to my best friend and companion. "Pika Pikachu!" he cheered back as he jumped onto my shoulder. Or, at least he tried to, until he was grabbed by a mechanical arm, bringing back with it memories of elaborate mechas.

The arm was attached to a powerful piece of machinery, which was attached to a certain Meowth balloon. A woman hung out the side. Her hair was long, and it reached her waist, ending in a curl. She had magenta coloured hair and bright blue eyes. Next to her was a man. His green eyes matched his lavender coloured hair which was slightly long, with it almost reaching his shoulders. Both of them wore white shirts, the bottom was cut off to show a black shirt underneath, and while the woman wore a white skirt and knee high boots with heels, the man wore white pants and a shorter pair of boots.

In the middle of them was a tan coloured Pokémon, looking a lot like a cat, a gleaming object was on its forehead; a golden charm. There was an unmistakable red 'R' on the two people's shirts that showed their side obviously.

"Shall we say now?" the woman called out to her partners. They nodded. She grinned, then began.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double."

"We followed you from Sinnoh with revenge on our minds,"

"And we made sure this time we didn't fall behind."

"We finally took Pikachu from you,"

"And now we're heading to HQ."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket winning for once is an impressive sight!"

"Surrender now, 'cause you'll lose this fight."

"Meowth, that's right!"

"WOBBUFETT!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried from it's electricity-proof cage. "Pikachu!" I cried. Then I got mad. "Give Pikachu back right now!" I yelled. "Why do you always ask that? Do you think we would do that after catching it, especially since you always Thunderbolt us after?" Jessie called back to me. Instinctively, I reached for Staraptor, but suddenly realized that Professor Oak had my Pokémon. Quickly, I ran up and jumped as high as possible, but because a hot-air balloon is really high up, and this is a more realistic fanfic, not TV, I missed by at least 5 metres.

Crashing to the ground, I felt a rush of pain as my arm hit the ground wrong. Painfully, I lifted my head to see a small crowd of people around me, and the Team Rocket trio making faces as the balloon disappeared into the horizon. "Pikachu..." I groaned, before blacking out.

* * *

Third Person's POV

Even though she was a young Nurse Joy, she had taken care of many Pokèmon. From as small as an Eevee to as large as a Tyranitar, she had done it all. But when the Vermillion Joy had seen a red haired boy struggling to get an unconscious raven haired trainer in, for once in her life, she didn't know what to do. After carefully managing to put the trainer on the couch, the red haired teen came up to the front desk.

The boy looked exhausted, but still managed to look up at her and say the obvious thing she had wanted to avoid.

"He needs medical attention, Nurse Joy."

The rough look in his silver eyes startled the young woman. She stuttered out a reply.

"W-we deal in Pokèmon, not people!" She had never dealt with people before.

The boy slammed one hand on the desk. "There is no hospital for people nearby-"

But he was interrupted by someone pushing him by. The 'someone' was a man with dark, spiky brown hair and squinted eyes that seemed to open in their own mysterious way as he looked at Nurse Joy with reverence.

"Nurse Joy, your beauty will be forever indescribable, and just being in the room with you is like a dream come true-"

A frog popped out of the man's Pokèball, it's hand glowing purple. The man noticed that quickly. He seemed to get a frightened look in his eyes.

"Crogunk, can't you make an acceptation? I just got back to Kanto-"

The Poison Jab hit him in the back, and the man toppled over, crying out "So please wake me up!"

The frog was about to pull him away when the red haired teen stopped him. "Is he alright?" he asked Crogunk. The purple frog nodded. He also gave him a look that said _this is my everyday life._ All of a sudden, the brown haired man shot up.

"Hello, my name is Brock. I'm going to be studying to become a Pokèmon Doctor. Who are you?" he asked him.

"None of your business. I was only here to try and get Nurse Joy to take care of the trainer I brought in with an injured arm and some nasty scrapes. He needs medical attention, and I don't think that a Pokèmon Doctor or a human doctor treating him will make a big difference." the red haired boy replied sharply.

Brock looked concerned. "Where is he? I can help, I've treated human injuries before."

The teen with the silver eyes pointed towards the still unconscious form of Ash. Brock's eyes widened as he saw his former travelling companion. He had been watching him on the ferry, but they were separated once it docked in Vermillion.

"Ash?"

* * *

Ash's POV

My arm felt like someone had smashed by a hammer. "Ow... Where am I?" I groaned. I tried to sit up, and slowly managed to get in a vertical position.

"It would be better for you if you lied down. You'll recover faster." said an unknown voice. I turned to see a red haired teen, older than me.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I questioned.

"Call me... Silver. Right now, you're in the Vermillion City Pokèmon Centre. To be specific, their couch." he replied cooly.

I glanced around, taking note of the clean and orderly Pokèmon Centre. On a nearby counter there was a familiar first aid kit with some gauze and bandages sticking out. It was obvious that the box was rummaged through without thinking about keeping it tidy.

That's when I remembered the pain in my arm. The injured limb was delicately wrapped with stiff bandages to hold it in place.

"Did you do this?" I asked, dazed.

"No, a man came in. He was hitting on Nurse Joy, but his odd purple frog stopped him." Silver said with an uncaring voice.

"Brock?" I said quietly. Although he didn't say anything, Silver heard the name and memorized it.

"That's right, Ash."

The former breeder had come into the room and walked over to me in a few strides.

"Ash, what happened to you? You're carried into the Pokèmon Centre unconscious with a sprained arm? And where's Pikachu?" Brock asked, but I zoned out.

_Pikachu._

_Team Rocket has Pikachu._

* * *

**And... Scene! Writing a TR motto based on the Kanto motto was fun. They must put a lot of work into that! Review, and tell me your thoughts.**

**Bye-Bye, **

**Ty8 ^_^**


	2. Watchful Eyes

**Disclaimer:**

**Dear Typhlosion8, **

** You cannot own Pokémon at this time. We need it to make money. Please stop asking. We do not want to take this to court. Please continue to purchase our merchandise. **

**Sincerly, Pokémon Company**

* * *

Pikachu's POV

"Pika Pika Pika Pika Pikachu!" I cried out as I Volt Tackled my small cage. Team Rocket had arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes. Somewhere in the rocky mountains of Kanto, a large building was placed. If a passerby saw it, they would definetly investigate. If they could get past the security. When Jessie, James, and Meowth walked up to the doors, a small slot opened."Who are you?" said a grouchy voice. I could hear his partner grunting something about a pay raise in the background. Jessie scoffed. "Prepare for trouble!" James continued her lead. "And make it dou-"

"Idiots. We just need your full name and ID." the grouchy voice interrupted them. "Fine. I'm Jessie Musashi, and my ID is 642134." Jessie then pouted. "And I'm James Kojirō, and my ID is 785329." James grumbled. "Meowth 'ere, PokéID 479." he called out. "Your reason for returning to HQ?" the guard asked. "We have a powerful Pokémon with us." James replied. "Fine. Put it in the dropoff area and get back to work." said the guard. A special compartment opened up next to the door. It was square, but there was a spot for a Pokéball in it. "But we have it in a cage." Jessie told the grunt. "Arrggg! Everyone has cages these days! Fine, I'll open the door!" The door creaked open. The trio went in and heard the door slam behind them.

Wandering through the halls, finally they found the Boss's office. His secratary was typing furiously on her computer."Exuse me, but we need to see the Boss. We have to show him this powerful Pikachu." James told the secratary. "Giovanni does not have time to waste with you three, and definetly not for a tiny Pikachu. Next time, go for the Raichu and skip the rat." replied the secratary, not even looking up. I growled, my cheeks sparking dangerously as she continued. " But since you guys are annoying and I would love to hear that you get fired, I'll let you in. Good luck. You'll need it." finished the secratary, still not looking up. Slowly, the trio continued onward, knocking on the door. "Come in." As Jessie, James, and Meowth walked in, the blond smirked, hiding her glee. Domino hoped they were fired.

* * *

Ash's POV

_Pikachu. _The name echoed in my head. Team Rocket had taken it to their headquarters by now. I had to find my best friend. Now. "Silver, where is the video phone?" The two of them looked confused. "It's around the corner to the left." I nodded. Quickly, I got up, careful not to injure my arm even more. Sitting down, I dialled the number. I had it memorised by heart. _780-972-7053._ It rung three times, finally showing a black haired teen in a bright green shirt. A red headband kept his hair back. Tracy smiled. "Hey Ash! How's Pikachu doing?" _Pikachu. "_He's fine. Can you get Professor Oak? I need some Pokémon back." The Pokémon watcher nodded. "Sure. Give me a moment." About a minute later, Professor Oak showed up on screen. "Ash, my boy! How was the trip? I assume you're in Vermillion?" I smiled. "Yep. It was an easy trip. No problems." _That's a lie. _"Good. Now, which Pokémon do you need?"

Quickly thinking on the spot, I told him. "Infernape,"_ Infernape is very loyal, not to mention Blaze will come in handy, _" Sceptile," _He was great at the Battle Frontier, _"Totodile," _The energy Totodile has will help me greatly,_ "Staraptor," _Brave Bird and Aerial Ace will knock out any opponents,_"and Donphan." and _Donphan is__ a powerhouse! Team Rocket won't stand a chance! _ Professor Oak beamed. "Good choices. I'll send them over." As soon as the last Pokéball arrived, I thanked the professor. "Anytime!" he said, and the screen went black. A new energy was surging through me. _I have to stay rational. I will rescue Pikachu._ Rushing forward, I released my Pokémon. "Come on out everyone!"

* * *

Professor Oak walked across the lawn of his ranch. Suddenly, he noticed Donphan roll across the lawn. Shocked, all he could say was "Who's with Ash?"

* * *

3 Person's POV

As Jessie, James and Meowth walked into the Giovanni's office, they held their breath. Jessie spoke.

"Sir? We have a powerful Pokémon for you. It's a Pikachu. We've tracked it for 5 years. It got stronger as we tracked it, and finally we captured it."

Giovanni did not respond. His chair was turned towards the window.

"Sir? Even though it's not evolved, this Pikachu knows Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, and Volt Tackle. It shows power beyond the normal Pikachu level. Sir? Are you alright?" James asked his superior. No response came from Giovanni. Then he spoke.

"So...5 years and you pop up with an ELECTRIC RAT? Really? Did a stray Thunderbolt fry you brain?" Giovanni sighed. "Get out of my sight." The trio rushed out of the door, trying to avoid his wrath. His Persian came out from behind his desk and shut the door. Giovanni stood up and walked over to the Pikachu. It looked as normal as one he could have captured in the Viridian Forest. Still, Volt Tackle is a good move. Most Pokémon have to learn it as an egg move. Reaching into his pocket, Giovanni enlarged a Pokéball. If the mouse still had a trainer, the Pokéball wouldn't work. Kneeling, he hit the Pikachu on the head with the sphere, and it bounced back. Pikachu glowed red briefly. Giovanni walked over to the door and called out to his secratary as he opened it. "Domino? Search up a Pikachu that knows Volt Tackle and Iron Tail."

"Yes sir." A few moments passed. " Giovanni, sir? The Pikachu belongs to an Ash Ketchum. His hometown is Pallet, Kanto, and his starter was a Pikachu?" Giovanni thought for a moment. Maybe Oak picked up that Pikachu and gave it to a Trainer? He would only pick the best to train a Pokémon with that amount of power, right? "Domino? Find me this Ketchum. I want to meet the person that Oak gave Pikachu to. Call me when he's been found."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Ash's POV

I watched as Infernape, Sceptile, Totodile, Staraptor and Gible come out of their Pokéballs in a flash of white light. _Where did Gible come from? I thought I told the professor that I wanted Donphan. It was probably a mistake._ "Hey guys. Listen. We have a big problem? Team Rocket has Pikachu. Our mission is to find their HQ and infiltrate it. It will be difficult. But we can do it, right?" The last few words were shaky. My voice started to crack. I was breaking down. My plan of staying calm wasn't working. "Tile Sceptile." cried out my grass type friend. " Star Staraptor." "Totototo Dile!" "Infernape!" "Gib Gib Gible." I managed a weak smile. I knew they would be up to the job. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you guys."

"So Team Rocket took you Pikachu?" I froze. _Silver. _Angrily, I snapped at him. "Eavesdrop much? Or is it natural to listen to others conversations to you?" Silver came closer. "Calm down. Brock sent me to check on you. We both noticed that something was wrong. You acted very unusual." He sat down next to me. "If you're going to sneak in their HQ, you need to look like a Rocket, act like a Rocket, and think like one too. A Team Rocket Grunt is cunning and sharp. They are rude. They swear and they definetly do not show affection to anyone, people or Pokémon. Heck, doing so will make people look at you, and if you're trying to steal back your Pikachu, you want to be off the radar." I curiously looked at him. "How do you know these things?" I questioned him. He smiled grimly. "I should know. I used to be a Rocket myself."

* * *

Ash's POV

We had worked hard over the last few days. Silver trained me, he helped me train my Pokémon, and best of all, when Brock asked a question, he waved me away and delt with it. He was dedicated to my cause, and he always had an answer.

"Okay Sceptile, now when you use Leaf Blade, make it sharper and concentrate on the energy in the tip. You will be expected to injure or disable someone. Team Rocket takes battling seriously." Silver called out. We had been practising for days. Sceptile nodded. "Scept Tile!" he cried out as he fired Bullet Seed. The bullets looked really sharp today. "Dodge it Staraptor! Then use Brave Bird!" I commanded my Pokémon. "Starrrrrrr" it cried as its body went up in flame. Almost touching the ground, that's when it was hit painfully in the starboard wing as it released energy and glowed blue. "Staraptor!" it called out fiercely. "Leaf Blade!" Silver yelled. Running forward, the tiny leaves on Sceptile's arms glowed green as they expanded and grew. Sceptile looked like it was in pain for a moment, then the blades shone with white light. Staraptor came closer, the Bullet Seed injury seeming unimportant as it struck Sceptile. "Flip!" Silver yelled. "Tile Sceptile!" The Forest Pokémon cried as it jumped a second before impact. Twisting, it landed roughly on Staraptor's back. After recovering from the recoil damage, Staraptor tried to flip and twist to knock Sceptile off it's back, but Sceptile avoided falling off by gripping Staraptor's feathers tight. An idea struck me. "Use Brave Bird again to get Sceptile off!" I shouted. Sure enough, when Staraptor started to dive, Sceptile couldn't get off fast enough. The energy combineded with the flames scared the Forest Pokémon. He landed next to Silver. "Staraptor, we're done for today." I said as it cringed from recoil. "Starrrrrrr." "Nice job Sceptile." Silver praised.

I turned to look at the others, who had sparred while we'd battled. Infernape was going against Totodile, and then there was Gible, who would set off Draco Meteor every few minutes. "Giibbbbble!" he cried as the orange energy ascended into the cloudless sky. "Nice work everybody. Take the rest of the afternoon off. You guys earned it." My team cheered as they raced off to enjoy the beautiful day. "Ash, I need a word." Silver said as I came towards him. Dodging a meteor, I nodded. "Sure. What do you need?" I questioned. Silver paused, then spoke in a low voice, barely audible. "I want you to understand the risks of this. I know you want to go tomorrow, but I just wanted to remind you." He paused. Looking at him, I noticed how shaky he was. "If you find your Pikachu, do me a favour." I nodded, urging him silently to continue. "Find a Pokéball with a Feraligatr in it. Please bring it back to me. That's all I ask." I glanced at him. His grey eyes were brimming with tears. "Of course." I said. Silver suggested that I go and make a plan for tomorrow. Agreeing, I walked towards the room Nurse Joy had let me stay in this week. I was in the lobby when Brock approached me.

"Ash." he started " I don't know what you're up to, or what's going on. I haven't seen Pikachu all week, so I'm really worried. You have also been avoiding me all week. Please, tell me what's going on." I shook my head. "I can't force you into my situation. Just trust me. Please." He nodded sadly. "Stay safe Ash. I expect to see you on TV soon. Don't disappoint me." I smiled, probably for the first time this week. " Don't worry about me. I expect to see you the next time I'm in the Pokémon Centre. No exceptions!" Smiling, my Gym Leader went off, and we officially split paths at the fork in the road. Remembering something, I walked towards the video phones. Dialling the number, the screen showed a green haired fire type trainer. "Hello, Liza? I'm calling to ask for my Charizard."

* * *

The Black Tulip smiled. Quickly dialling the Boss, he picked up and she began.

"Sir, he's been found. He's currently at the Vermillion Pokémon Centre. Should we capture him?"

"Soon. But make sure he's alone. We don't want any mishaps. You've done well Domino."

"Thank you sir."

And in the darkness, a lone woman smiled. Today was definetly her day.

* * *

**I have a new policy. From now on, every chapter will have at least 1,500 words or more in it. I swear! Remember, R&amp;R!**

**Goodbye for now, Typhlosion8**


	3. A Shattered Will And Captured Trainer

Ash's POV

As I left the Pokemon Centre, I recalled yesterday's events after I parted ways with Brock.

_Flashback_

_ "Hello, Liza? I'm calling to ask for my Charizard back." Liza nodded. "Good, 'cause no one here can defeat him. He's at his top form, and I really think he misses you." Trying to put on a real smile, I start to remember my prideful Charizard. "Can you send him over to the Vermillion Pokémon Centre?" I ask. "Sure, he'll be there by tomorrow noon." she grins. The video phone turned off as I walked to bed. Tomorrow would be an important day. My mission would begin. _

_End Flashback_

My watch struck the twelve, and I heard a roar of compassion and power. I rush forward to greet my enthusiastic friend. "Hey buddy! How's it goin'?" I call out as the fiery dragon lands on the now flattened grass. His scales glinted in the sunlight, and his wings reached 7'8". The sharp claws on his hand were powerful, but not as powerful as the fierce fangs that showed as he roared once more, proving he was strong and my fire type friend. "Charizard Char!" he cried. Looking at me, I noticed an immature glint in his eyes. _Crap_ I thought, before I was roasted by a Flamethrower. "Zard!" he cheered as I toppled over. Releasing itself, Infernape came out of its Pokéball, prepared for battle. Shaking my head, it calmed down. It was that moment when I noticed a curious Charizard looking at my shoulder. _Pikachu._ "Fernape?" Infernape questioned. "Char Charizard?" it replied. Sadly, Infernape looked at the ground, speaking slowly. "Infernape Fern Infern Infernape. Nape Infernape." Charizard was in shock, but then was overcome with rage. "CHARIZARD!" it called out as it released a Flamethrower. "Calm down." I Mumbled. He looked at me with tears in his once fierce eyes.

The dragon that took out a legendary bird now seemed as powerless as a Magikarp. "Zard," he said solemnly, trying to regain his past fearful state. "I need your help to rescue Pi-" I stopped as my voice cracked. "I need you, Charizard." I finished. He didn't even pause to consider it. "Char," he nodded. "Good. Now according to Silver, Team Rocket's HQ is near the Pokémon League in the mountains. Can you give me a lift?" Grinning, Charizard flew up into the skies. I recalled Infernape, and as soon as the Pokéball was on my belt that another one hit my head. I grabbed Charizard's Pokéball, and mounted the Fire/Flying Pokémon's back as he came back down. We flew up into the air together, and set off for the Pokémon League.

* * *

Pikachu's POV

I feel so cramped in this cage. I already tried to break it with Iron Tail, and that's when the collar around my neck activated. I rolled around in indescribable pain, or I tried to, until I met the bars on both sides. I though I was going to die, and then it stopped. "Chu..." I mewed weakly. My eyes searched the room, looking for a familiar face. Nobody I knew. From the cold feeling I had, I was obviously underground, probably a lab or storage room. No one came in or out. So lonely. I miss Ash. Tears swelled up in my coal black eyes. Shivering, I scrunched up my body into the smallest ball I could make to stay as warm as possible. Even a Pokéball would be better than this! No, a Pokéball is still worse. But this makes the top five list! "Pika Pikachu..."

* * *

Giovanni's POV

"Is that rat giving up yet?" I barked out to my head scientist, Dr. Tigaru. His sleek black hair gave hm a professional look, along with the bright white lab coat. "Almost," he replied "It's tough, but it's already in the fetal position. It attacked the cage once, but I think it learned its lesson with our new PCD collars. They control a Pokémon's natural habit, which is to attack when in danger. Plus the cold temperature will frighten it. Most Pikachu are use to mild or warm climates. Their fur is not built to withstand cold. Combine that with being separated from it's trainer and no food, and soon enough that Pikachu will be eating out of your palm." he finished. "Impressive. How long until I can use it in battle?" Dr. Tigaru smiled. "Give it a week, and it will be ours."

* * *

Ash's POV

Charizard landed next to a back door. We had noticed the building right away (It's a building in the middle of the forest! How is that not suspicious?) and had landed quietly. I got out my supplies. Silver had given me a black uniform, complete with a shirt, pants, gloves, boots and a small hat. Right in the middle was a dark red 'R' on the pitch black shirt. I changed fast and with Charizard's help, buried my backpack with my old clothes and three Pokéballs. I was taking Charizard, Gible and Sceptile with me inside, and I left Totodile, Infernape and Staraptor, because most grunts carried three Pokémon max. Recalling Charizard, I snuck through the door and walked into a grey hallway. No one was there, so I decided to move forward.

My fake Rocket ID was 79177, and I was working in the communications department. Quickly, I explored the halls, but nobody was here. Something was going on._ Forget about that,_ I told plan was to find the Pokémon labs, rescue Pikachu, and like Silver said, run like the wind. If I got caught, it would be game over. All of a sudden, I heard footsteps, followed by voices. "Shit!" I whispered to myself. Spotting a door, I turned the knob and got in. Not even thinking about the other side.

"Excuse me, but just what do you think you're doing in here?"

_I'm screwed,_ I silently told myself. Game over.

* * *

3 Person's POV

When Giovanni is in a good mood, he rewards with raises and praise. But on days like this, he was in a bad mood. Until he got two pieces of very good news. It all started with a phone call.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Giovanni picked up his phone. "What?" he growled.

"Sir, I have good news. The Pikachu is finally ready for battle."

Giovanni smirked. "Good work, Dr. Tigaru. Anything else?"

"Yes, sir. Remember that Ketchum boy you wanted found?"

Giovanni frowned. "What about him?"

"Well, you can stop looking. He's somehow inside our office right now! Dressed as a Grunt, too. I believe he was trying to get his Pikachu."

Smiling, Giovanni spoke once more. " Bring him and the Pikachu to my offic'bras if you jobs depended on it! 'Cause they do!"

He could hear the "Yes sir!" in the background from the Grunts. He hung up the phone, and waited patiently for his guests to arrive.

* * *

Ash's POV

I struggled to undo my bonds. The rope was strong, and I couldn't untie it. As soon as I came into the room, two Grunts tackled me and bonded me. The head scientist had called someone, and next thing I know, Giovanni wants to see me. A muscular Grunt lifted me up because of my bonds keeping me from moving. We finally stopped at a polished wooden door. Knocking on it, a person on the other side replied "Come in." the muscular Grunt dropped me roughly on the floor. "Oww! Watch it!" I snapped at him. "Shut your trap, or else," he threatened. "Or else what? You'll make more empty threats?" I mocked. "Quiet, both of you." Giovanni said. "Dr. Tigaru, where is Subject B?" he inquired.

"He's coming, don't worry." he said. Another knock on the door, and a Grunt came in with a small yellow cage. I knew what was in it immeadietly. "We've been testing the new PCD collars on it." Tigaru explained. "For those of you who don't know what PCD stands for, PCD stands for Pokémon Controlling Device. Mark, show our test subject. It's will has been shattered, and it will battle for anyone from now on."

The Grunt unlocked the door, and a small creature dragged itself out. Instead of its past athletic form, it was thinner than it should have been, and it's ribcage was showing. The weak yellow creature was shivering, and it could barely stand as it's lightning bolt tail dragged across the carpeted floor; the usually brightly coloured yellow fur was a pale filthy shade of yellow, almost brown. A silver collar was strapped around the Pokémon's neck, flashing a red light. Drooping its pointy ears, the Pikachu collapsed just as I called out to my best friend. "Pikachu!"

* * *

**That's a wrap! I'm sorry if the Pikachu description was over the top, but I had to make a sad scene. Besides, the is Team Rocket. They are villans!**

**By the way, I don't own Pokémon. Yet. **


	4. The Decision

3 Person's POV

As the electric mouse hit the floor, Ash jumped forward, but ended up falling face forward on the floor because of the ropes around him. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, Ash's Pokémon have a mind of their own as Gible popped out of his Pokéball. "Gib?" He took one look around him, and then without warning, glowed a sudden pure white light.

"Gible?" Ash whispered. Then his bonds went slack as a Dragon Claw ripped through them. "Ga Gabite!" his dragon cried as the Rockets nearby backed up. Pushing himself up, Ash stumbled over to his once proud Pikachu. "What did they do to you, buddy?" he whispered as he lifted Pikachu into his arms. That's when Giovanni smiled. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt." he commanded. Ash watched as his Pokémon's cheeks sparked, and released a powerful blast of electricity. "Gabit, hold Pikachu!" Ash called out, sparking, as the attack stopped. "Gab Gab." he nodded as Pikachu went into his arms.

Reaching back, Ash enlarged a Pokéball on his belt and released it. "Sceptile!" his Forest Pokémon cried. "Sceptile, keep everyone away with Leaf Blade!" he told his Pokémon. The small plants on Sceptile's arms enlarged as they glowed. Leaf Blade was in effect. With Gabite at his back and Sceptile in front, Ash Ketchum shoved the doors open as he raced through the halls to the exit.

* * *

Giovanni pressed the intercom button on his desk. "All units, lockdown the building! We have an undercover youth in the building. He cannot escape! I repeat, lockdown the building!" Sighing, he closed his eyes. _I am too old for this,_ he thought.

* * *

Ash Ketchum hurried past the surprised Grunts. Only a few of them realised that he was the youth trying to escape. The small escapees stopped at a steel door. "Gabite, try a Dragon Pulse." he asked the Land Shark.

"Gabbbbbite!" he cried as a teal coloured sphere of energy hit the door, creating a large hole. They continued to run, only to be stopped by a Houndoom. "Well, well, well, thought you could escape," said a voice. It was familiar, yet not? He turned to see a blond girl in a Rocket uniform. She looked strong. Behind her were two Rocket Grunts.

"Who are you? The Shadow Triad?" Ash mocked, knowing full well who she was.

The blond scowled. " I am the Black Tulip. I also go by the name Domino. These are my henchmen."

Ash turned to his Pokémon. Sceptile was weak against a Houndoom, Pikachu looked awful, and Gabit was holding Pikachu. Sighing, he expanded a Pokéball. "Let's go, Charizard!" he yelled as the immense dragon was released in a flash of white light. "CHAR!" he yelled in fury and might. The Grunts looked like they were frozen, but the Black Tulip commanded Houndoom. "Flamethrower, and be quick about it." she called out.

He smirked. "Charizard, show those Rockets your new move. Overheat!" Ash grinned. "Charrrizard!" he roared as an immense force pushed the raven haired boy back, along with warm air blowing on his face.

Houndoom didn't stand a chance as it was knocked to the ground. Slowly it began to get up "Charizard, Dragon Tail!" Ash yelled. "Zard!" he called out as his blue tail sent Houndoom back towards Domino, it's eyes swirling. Scowling, she recalled the Dark Pokémon. "Sceptile, Bullet Seed!" He said as seeds were shot at the Rockets, covering their escape. Rushing through the halls, Ash continued to keep his heart from stopping as they ran. The longer they were in the building, the slimmer their chances of escape. _What if we don't make it? What will happen to us?_

* * *

Ash's POV_  
_

Adrenaline was coursing through my body as we shoved our way through the crowds. It wasn't hard, especially when you have a Sceptile, Gabite, and Charizard helping out. During our escape, I heard a few screams, many curses, and one female Grunt fainted. Sort of overkill, right? Of course, the hope I once had was destroyed when I came to the exit to see over 50 Rockets blocking it, along with Domino and Giovanni. His Persian was stalking towards me, claws extended. Sceptile and Charizard got into battle positions, while Gabite looked at me fiercely, telling me it was ready. And my Pikachu was still looking sickly, but was able to lift it's head and whisper "Pikapi..." That was when I realised it was over. I wasn't getting out of here alive. I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and cried out as I saw a Poison Sting in my arm. My eyes closing, I toppled over, the last thing I saw was Charizard using Flamethrower and Sceptile looking at me, alarmed.

* * *

3 Person's POV

The young man was lying in Giovanni's office, on the floor. His arm was wrapped well in bandages, and the poison had been cured. His Pokémon were in cages on Level 4, and his Pikachu was being treated by a Nurse in the building. Now Giovanni just had to wait for the raven haired boy to awaken.

"Arggg, what the fudge? Where's Misty and Duplica? Brock? Arceus, where am I? Please tell me that Mom's not going to remind me to change my under-"

"Excuse me, but could you please pay attention?" Giovanni inntureupted.

Groggily, Ash focused his eyes to take in his surroundings. Realizing where he was, he jumped slightly. "Giovanni!" he growled.

"Yes, yes, we both hate each others guts. But right now, your Pokémon are in cages and the building is surrounded. Your Pikachu is on life support, and you are in my office. So it's a good idea to listen to me right now."

Grumpily, he stopped struggling to leave. Giovanni could still hear him mumble things like "why should I listen to you," and "you can't tell me what to do,".

Waiting for the captured trainer to remain silent, the head of Team Rocket smiled. His plan was working.

"Now, you know who I am, and I know who you are. You are Ash Ketchum, son of Delia Ketchum, you started your journey at the age of 10 in Pallet started with a Pikachu, given to you from Professor Oak. You placed Top 16 at the Pokémon League, Top 8 at the Silver Confrence, Top 8 in the Vertress Confrence, Top 4 in the Lily of the Valley Conference, and returned to Kanto. You have a Charizard, Pikachu, Gabite, and Sceptile. Right now there are Team Rocket members surrounding Pallet Town, your hometown, in the event that you decline my most generous offer." Giovanni stated.

"What offer?" Ash questioned suspiciously.

"You are to join Team Rocket, train under Domino, and then use your skills to defeat the Elite Four and Lance, at which time you will reveal your name and your allies, Team Rocket."

Giovanni paused. "This will allow us to infiltrate the League, and in time, take over Kanto."

"If you think that I will let you use me like that, then you obviously don't know me that well." Ash said, and then spat towards the crime boss.

By now, Giovanni was smiling.

"Of course you will, because if you don't, Rockets will break into your house and kill your mother. Right now, according to my sources, she is having her daily tea with Professor Oak and his grandson, Gary Oak. They will not leave them unscathed."

The leader of Team Rocket got up, and walked towards Ash. Almost nose to nose, he spoke in a calm but threatening voice.

"We will kill everyone you ever spoke with. We will destroy your life. If you did leave this building somehow, you would probably be accused of murder and sentenced to death. I will ask again. Will you join Team Rocket?"

Ash gulped. Closing his eyes, he thought all his friends.

_Flashback_

_Pikachu in his arms, he swam as fast as he could from the Gyarados. He felt a tug, and wasthen pulled out of the river by a young redheaded trainer._

_"What were you doing in there?"_

* * *

_"Wow, Brock! This is delicious! Your cooking is the best!" he called out to the Gym Leader._

_"Yeah Brock, this is better than usual. Thanks!" Misty agreed._

* * *

_"Can we go see Professor Oak now Ash?_

_Can we go see Professor Oak now Ash?_

_Please Ash? Can we go?_

_Can we go see Professor Oak now Ash?_

_Ash, I wanna meet him! ASH!"_

_"Alright, Tracey!"_

* * *

_"That name! Don't mention that name!"_

_"Brock!"_

* * *

_"Blastoise is unable to battle which means Charizard is the winner and the match goes to Ash!" the announcer called out across the stadium._

_"Gary, you fought really well." I complemented that brown haired rival of mine._

_"You earned it, Ashy-boy."_

* * *

_"May, you eat almost as much as Ash!"_

_"MAX!" the Coordinator yelled as her brother ran from the girl's fury. Brock mearly chuckled._

* * *

_"Jessie!"_

_"James!"_

_"Meowth, that's a name!"_

_Putting the do-gooders in their place,"_

_"We're Team Rocket," _

_"And we're in your face!"_

_"WOBBUFFET!"_

_"Mime Mime!"_

* * *

_"Every Coordinator has to have a Pokétch!"_

_"Why do we need one, Dawn?"_

* * *

_"No need to worry, guys!" Dawn quoted._

_Together, Brock and I called out "And that's when I worry the most!"_

* * *

_"Don't forget to change your underwear everyday, sweetie!"_

_I facepalmed. "Mooommm! I'm a trainer now! I'll be fine!_

_End Flashback_

"I'll do it."

* * *

**Chapter complete! I finished this chapter on 6/7/14 at 11:40. I worked hard, so please, review! Please?**

**Ty8**

**P. S. I don't own Pokémon, or that KitKat anymore. I gave it to Gaige's Peppy Sweetheart. Sorry to those "others" who wanted it. You snooze, you lose. Bye!**


	5. I Did It For You

**Disclaimer:****Ty8: ****I do own Pokémon.**

**-Unknown voice- "No you don't!"**

**Ty8: Alright, I don't! But put the Pokéball down. I like my freedom.**

**Warning:**** This chapter takes place around when Ash arrives in Vermillion, so imagine it like the same day, same time, different place. Ty8, over and out!**

* * *

Cerulean City, Kanto

While Ash was losing his Pikachu at the hands of Jessie, James, and Meowth, a familiar red haired girl was sitting in her room, thinking about someone in particular. _Do you think he remembers me after 5 years?_ she thought. She watched the Lily of the Valley Conference, and how he was crushed by Tobias. _Although, Pikachu took Latios out, he's gotten stronger. I saw that amazing Volt Tail! Of course, only Ash could think of something like that. He's probably back in Pallet Town by now,_ she thought,_ maybe I'll visit him._

So our favourite Water type trainer grabbed her bag and Pokéballs, swung the door open, and went on her way to Pallet Town.

* * *

3 days later, Viridian Forest

"Argg! I hate this stupid forest! Who thought it was a good idea to put a forest here!" Misty yelled in frustration as another branch scratched her arm. It was at that moment that Psyduck decided to pop out. "Pssyyy?" he asked. Sighing, she left him out of his ball. "I could use some company, even though you're a stupid duck." "Duuuck?"

"Come on, we're almost at the exit." she told the duck. Together they pushed through the trees, until halting at a nest of Kakuna. "Ka-kakuna are th-there...w-which means B-beedrill are near." she stuttered. Like a switch had been flipped, a large swarm of Beedrill popped up out of nowhere, angry. "Come on Psyduck, we've gotta go now!" Misty screamed. But Psyduck stood his ground. "Psyyyyyduck!" he cried as the Beedrill were knocked back by Psychic. Grabbing her courageous duck, she raced towards a gap in the trees, where you could see the Viridian City sign. _Thank Arceus!_ she thought.

* * *

After a refreshing night at the Pokémon Centre, Misty walked down Route 1. _I still remember running down here to find the immature kid who stole my bike. I saw the lightning, and by the time I got to Viridian, my bike was toasted to charcoal!_

Just a half hour later, she was in Pallet Town. Cruising down the grassy hills, she stopped at Ash's house. Misty briskly knocked on the door, and it opened straight away. "Oh, hello Misty." Delia Ketchum greeted the redhead as she stepped inside. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Ketchum. Is Ash here yet?" Mistsa asked quickly. Delia looked down. "He's never been gone for this long; Samuel told me he was in Vermillion, and it's not a long journey."

Mrs. Ketchum spoke slowly. "Do you think something happened to him?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Misty offered. Delia nodded, and Misty walked towards the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see none other than Gary Oak. "Hello, Gary!" she smiled brightly. " Good afternoon, I take it you came here looking for Ash?" he questioned. Misty nodded. Gary sighed. "Ash always comes home fast, he loves Mrs. Ketchum's cooking."

Misty spoke quietly. "Mrs. Ketchum thinks something happened to him."

Gary frowned. "Team Rocket?" he suggested.

"No, he usually stops their plans. A wild Pokémon, perhaps?" Misty asked him.

"Maybe. Should we look for him?" Gary inquired.

"No. I've got a better idea. Take me to the nearest video phone."

* * *

Pokémon League, Kanto

"Lance, sir? I've got someone on the line. A Misty Waterflower and Gary Oak. They requested you, and the girl was very persistent."

Lance was intrigued. "Put them on."

A few minutes later, he could see Misty arguing with Gary Oak. "I told you we'd connect!" she scowled at him, then turned to the video phone. "Hello, Lance. I have a problem."

"What is it?" he asked. Misty took a deep breath.

"Ash has gone missing. It's been four days since he arrived in Vermillion, and we haven't heard anything from him."

" We suspected a wild Pokémon, or the Team Rocket trio that follows him, but he usually has no problem with those situations." Gary added.

"Team Rocket?" Lance questioned.

"Yeah, they're a trio of idiots who try to steal his Pikachu. They always fail." Misty told him. "I would know, I traveled with him for 2 years and if they didn't catch him then, they won't catch him now."

Lance spoke up. "What if someone else in Team Rocket noticed this Pikachu? He used him in each Conference, right?"

Misty gasped. "Do you think they grabbed him or Pikachu and he's trying to track them down?"

"Gramps said all he had on his way to Vermillion was Pikachu, and he took some of his best Pokémon later. It's possible, because he didn't see Pikachu, and Pikachu always waves." Gary said sadly. Pikachu and Ash were so close, how could they be separated?

"I'll investigate. You said he was in Vermillion, right?"

Gary and Misty nodded.

"Then I'll start there. I'll do my best. Stay hopeful, it might be a coincidence."

"OK, thanks Lance." Misty replied, and Gary nodded. "Thanks."

Then the screen went black.

* * *

Vermillion City, Kanto

Lance cautiously explored the city. His destination was the Pokémon Centre. Seeing the orange roof, he stepped through the automatic doors. The first person he noticed was a red haired boy, sitting on the couch with a worried face. "What's wrong?" Lance asked. This boy might give him information. "My friend. He's gone on a mission, and I'm worried about him. It's been 24 hours."

Lance continued carefully. "What did he look like?"

"Raven hair, brown eyes. He had a Charizard."

Lance furrowed his brow. Ash didn't have a Charizard last time he saw him.

"Where is he going? I could tell him you're worried about him." Lance told the red haired boy.

Lance noticed the boy was unnerved. _He might be connected to Ash's dissapearence. _

"Listen. I'm investigating a missing teen. His name's Ash Ketchum. His family and friends are worried about him. Have you seen him in this Pokémon Centre recently? Raven hair, brown hair, has a Pikachu on his shoulder?"

That got the boy's attention. "You're looking for him?"

"You know where Ash is?" Lance retorted.

Scowling, the boy began to speak. "I found him on the street near the docks with a broken arm and scratches. I helped heal him with a man named Brock. I believe they were together but got separated. When the boy wok, he hurried off to the video phone.

Later that day the boy, whose name was Ash, was talking to his Pokémon. I eavesdropped on his conversation and found out that his Pikachu eas taken by a trio of thieves."

"Team Rocket?" Lance asked.

"Yes. For a few days I aided him in training and gave him advice to infiltrate the Team Rocket HQ. I showed him the layout, how he should act, and how to dress."

"How do you know these things?" Lance inquired.

The trainer sighed. "I used to be in Team Rocket. I left to escape the evil of my father, Giovanni. He hoped that I would be the best Rocket, but that's not my thing. It was an evil and deadly company for the jobless. And by now Giovanni has probably captured an innocent person and I've failed." The boy started to sob.

Lance quietly spoke to not cause the boy to make a scene."Tell me where Team Rocket's HQ is,"

The teen took a deep breath. "Victory Road. When trainers fail at the League, they recruit them. At the Gyms they stand nearby for trainers who give up. It's brilliant, really."

"What is your name?"

"Silver. Yours?" Silver questioned.

"Lance, Dragon Master and a part of the Pokémon G-Men. Silver, can I send you to Pallet Town to tell this to Misty Waterflower, Gary and Samuel Oak, and Delia Ketchum?"

"Alright. I'll be there in a day. I wish you luck on retrieving Ash. Giovanni will have tricks up his sleeve. Don't play all your cards immediately." Silver advised.

"I won't. Thanks."

Silver went outside and enlarged a Pokéball, releasing a Fearow. "Fearr!"

"Goodbye Lance."

"Safe flight Silver."

And Silver took off into the skies. Lance returned to the Pokémon Centre and sat down at the nearest video phone. _Pick up already! _Suddenly, the screen turned on to show a blond woman. She could be seen wearing a black dress.

"Cynthia, I need you to gather Steven. There's a situation."

Cynthia looked worried. "What is it?"

Sighing, Lance ran a few fingers through his hair. "Ash Ketchum had gone missing when he returned to Kanto, and I know where he is."

Cynthia gasped. "He went missing?"

Lance looked shocked. "You know him?"

"Yes. Where is he?" Cynthia inquired.

"How do you know him?" Lance quickly asked.

"Long story. Stop avoiding the question." Cynthia replied coolly.

"I'll tell you when Steven gets to the Pokémon League, along with you." Lance stated. The look he gave her said that the subject was done.

Cynthia grumbled. "Who died and made you king?" she pouted as her screen went black.

* * *

Two hours later, Pokémon League, Kanto

The two Champions were discussing the situation. They both knew Ash, and worried about him. They also guessed where he was. Safari Zone, Rock Tunnel, Mt. Silver, Victory Road, there were so many places. Steven suggested that Ash never made it to Vermillion, but Cynthia decided to assume he did to make it easier to find his location. All chatter stopped when Lance stepped into the room.

He raised a hand. "I know what you're going to ask me. Let me tell you about what happened first."

Lance sat down. "Misty Waterflower and Gary Oak called me from Delia Ketchum's house. They told me that Ash had arrived in Vermillion, but hadn't shown up in Pallet Town yet. They were worried about a wild Pokémon or, a trio of Rockets who follow him around. According to Misty, they try to steal him Pikachu, but fail. After ending the discussion, I left on Dragonite to Vermillion. In the lobby of the Pokémon Centre, I met a red haired boy named Silver. After a long conversation with the distressed teen, I pieced together what had happened. Ash lost his Pikachu to the trio of Rockets, and he decided to infiltrate the base. Silver was a former Rocket, so he helped him plan and train. Silver is worried that Giovanni has captured him. After what he told me, it seemed obvious."

Cynthia spoke first. "So he's been taken hostage? Why?"

Steven spoke up. "Criminal orginizations usually lure young people to join them by promising them their dreams. Is it possible that Giovanni persuaded Ash?"

Lance shook his head. "Ash would never join an orginiszation like Team Rocket. It's morally against him."

"Maybe they forced him?" Cynthia suggested.

"That's my fear. Now, Silver told me where he sent Ash. I sent the boy to Ash's house to explain the story to his friends. But what's our next step?" Lance questioned.

Neither Champion spoke.

"Well, for now we'll work on a rescue mission." Lance finished. The other two nodded.

"You are adjourned."

* * *

Team Rocket Base, Victory Road

Ash sighed. The Team Rocket mattresses were stiff, and his room was cramped. At least he wasn't sharing. Turning over, he looked at the uniform. Domino had given him the actual uniform, which looked almost exactly the same, except it included black socks and a black hoodie with red outlining. He left it on top of his tiny dresser. _It's official. I'm a Rocket. If my friends find out, please understand: I did it for you._

* * *

**Typhlosion8 here! Did a nice, long chapter. **

**GPS, there was your romance. ^_^ **

**Everyone else, there was your romance. I just had to get some other people involved. Besides, Lance hates TR, so it all works out! I wonder if the rescue mission will though...**

**Smell you later, Ty8!**


	6. Indigo Plateau - Where Dreams Come True

**Disclaimer: Nomèkop nwo ton od I. Doog kcul gnidaer siht! ^_^**

* * *

Team Rocket HQ, Kanto

3 Person's POV

A loud banging was waking Ash up. Grumbling, he yelled out "If you keep that up you'll break the door!"

Grabbing his required uniform, he somehow stumbled out of bed. This was his seventh day at HQ, and he loathed every second.

"Come on!" Domino's voice could be heard. "It's you last day of training! Monday we leave for the League!"

Just as Domino was about to break open the door, Ash yanked it open. "Good. I brought you a chocolate chip granola. Eat, and we'll get going." She glanced at the raven haired Rocket. "You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping?" she asked. "Yes, Domino, I've been getting 8 hours every night, just like you told me to." he looked doubtful, but didn't push the subject. "Come on," she urged, as Ash tossed the wrapper to the floor for the Grunts to pick up.

* * *

Ash's POV

Running down the hall, Domino stopped at a locked door. "Giovanni wants you to learn hand-to-hand combat, and sharpshooting, so I'm taking you into the my practice room. Giovanni lets me use it, so I'm going to train you in here today."

Domino took me to a mat, and started to show me basic punches and kicks. She showed me how to defend as well. Two hours later, she clapped her hands. "Get into a defensive position and prepare to defend. I will injure you, so fight back." I had less than a minute before she punched me in the gut. Winded, I took a deep breath and kicked her in the leg. "Please," she scoffed, and tripped me. I fell hard on the mat and cried out in pain. Angrily, I jumped back up and tripped her, then as she got up, aimed a roundhouse kick at her head. Backing away, Domino stumbled, and held up her arm. "Pretty good. Now come this way, and I'll show you the range."

After an hour of sharpshooting, Domino stopped me, and told me I could have the afternoon off. "Use some of that time to sleep!" she told me. I nodded and went back out the door and walked down the hall towards the cafeteria.

They call it a cafeteria, but it's anything but. My first day, they served something that looked like vomit. I grabbed the disgusting food the Grunt was serving today. Today was Friday, which turned out to be pizza. _Bleah._ I took one bite, spit it out, and rinsed my mouth at the water fountain.

_Not as good as it looks,_ I thought.

* * *

After I tossed the pizza, I went to grab my Pokébelt. It was hidden under my mattress. Rockets would kill for these powerhouse Pokémon. Running towards the training room, I released Charizard, Sceptile, and Gabite. Each of them knew my sadness about being here, so they tried to cheer me up by working hard.

"Hey guys! Today we get Pikachu out from the healing centre!"

They all cheered. I cracked a smile. "Monday we challenge the League, so let's do some training!"

Hours passed. Finally, I recalled them all, telling them to take a good, long rest. I raced down the hall to the nearby stairs. I jumped down them two at a time, 'til I was on Level 3. I quickly ran to the healing centre. Knocking on the door, Nurse Jasmine opened it. "Hello, Ash. Pikachu has been waiting for you."

I came in, and saw my faithful yellow friend scurry towards me. I kneeled down, arms wide, and Pikachu jumped into them. "Pikapi!" he cried. "Hey buddy. Come on, I'll tell you everything." I whispered. I got up slowly, and took Pikachu back to my room. As we sat on the bed, for once since I got to Team Rocket, I felt like me.

* * *

Monday, Team Rocket's HQ

Domino woke me, and we walked briskly to Giovanni's office. After knocking, we walked in and sat in the chairs in front of his desk.

"So, today you two will be going to the League, and from there, Indigo Plateau. Ash, you job is to win, and Domino, your job is to give support and watch him. Is that clear?"

We both nodded.

"Good. Now, we don't want to arose suspicion, so I've gotten our scientists to change you Pokédex."

He gave Dexter to me, and as I turned it on, Dexter started to speak. "This Pokédex belongs to Satoshi. He is from Viridian, Kanto, and his starter was Charmander."

"Cool." I said. My whole life was now gone. Dexter didn't even sound cheerful.

Domino looked very serious. The respect she had for Giovanni was immense.

"Now, our problem is that you have only 4 Pokémon. So we'll need to get you some stronger ones."

"Sir," I began. "I have three more in the yard behing Door G."

Giovanni smiled. "Not all your eggs in one basket. Good strategy."

Domino spoke up. "I could retrieve them, sir."

He nodded at her, and she got up and left the room. It was obvious that Giovanni wanted to speak with me.

" Listen,when you get to Indigo Plateau, you will be against the Elite Four, and the Champion. They are Will, Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance. Each will be more powerful. When you get to the Champion's room, and you will, you will announce your allies, Team Rocket. It will be a true shock, and when you win, it will mean even more. Then you will reveal your true identity. Understood?"

The way he said that had the impression of a threat. "Yes _sir._" I replied, saying 'sir' strongly. We both knew: it was a battle. Not with Pokémon, with our wills, and how far we could go.

Domino entered the room to see a staring contest. "Ash! Come on!" she growled. I slowly got up, and walked over to Domino. She grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly out of the room. Our meeting was over.

* * *

Indigo Plateau, Kanto

We arrived at Indigo by noon. Domino didn't speak to me as we walked through Victory Road. I walked into the nearby Pokémon Centre. I was dressed in black pants, a black Rocket shirt, red sneakers, and a red hat. There was a Pokéball on it. I covered the Rocket shirt with my black hoodie.

"Hello, are you here to challenge the Elite 4?" Nurse Joy asked me. I nodded. Domino told me to speak as little as possible.

"Alright, I'll need you Pokédex." she told me. I reached into my pocket and pulled Dexter out. Nurse Joy put it in the slot next to the registry, and my name appeared on the screen above the desk. "Satoshi, from Viridian. Do you have a Charizard?" she asked me.

I nodded, and released him. He came out, and I smiled. Nurse Joy looked impressed.

_Of course she's impressed. Charizard's the best in the Characific Valley._

She returned my Pokédex, and I recalled Charizard. "You can challenge the League tomorrow. See you then!"_  
_

Smirkin under my hood, I turned around and walked swiftly to the campsite.

* * *

As I fell asleep in my sleeping bag, I thought about my journeys, and how much better my life was before Team Rocket. Domino was snoring. I could run to safety now, but my friends and family would be attacked. _Is my freedom worth their lives? _I shook my head. _No. I have to keep them safe._

* * *

Tuesday, June 10;Indigo Plateau, Kanto

3 Person's POV

Ash stepped into the first room. Domino was behind him, in a normal green shirt and blue jeans. She wore sunglasses on her head, and she looked impatient.

An elevator came up out of the floor. Standing on top was Will, the first of the Elites. He had Psychic type Pokémon, and they said he was psychic himself, and he had trained under Sabrina before she stopped talking to others.

"Welcome to the Indigo Plateau. My name is Will, and I specialize in Psychic Pokémon. What is your name?" he asked.

"Satoshi." I replied.

"Shall we begin?" he called out. In reply, I enlarged a Poké it, I released Sceptile. "Tile!" he cried.

Smiling, Will released a Xatu. "Let the battle begin!"

* * *

**Before anyone asks, in Kanto, Gen1 has Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, Lance, and your rival is Champion, but:**

**A. Ash has tons of rivals.**

**B. It's hard to put someone like Gary at the top of the League when he's looking for Ash.**

**C. I play SS, and Lance is a good Champion.**

**So Will is first, then Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance is Champion. **

**If you're confused about something, tell me, 'cause I always have an answer.**

**Ty8, over and out! ^_^**

**P.S. I do not own Pokémon. Good luck reading this! ^_^**


	7. The Will To Win

"Xatu, use Aerial Ace!" Will shouted.

"Xatu!" Xatu leaped up, and flew towards Sceptile with energy around it, like a small shield.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm, full power!" Satoshi told the Forest Pokémon.

"Sceptile!" he called out a a miniature storm of leaves surrounded him, growing bigger until he had a small twister, which he launched at the Mystic Pokémon.

Xatu was trapped in the whirlwind of leaves. "Future Sight!" Will commanded.

As Xatu's eyes glowed, Satoshi countered. "Sceptile, use our new move! Use Night Slash!"

The leaves on Sceptile's arms turned into long, dark, shadow blades, seeming as evil as a Nightmare attack.

"Scept Sceptile!" he said determinedly. He raced forward through the Leaf Storm, and slashed at Xatu. It's eyes stopped glowing, and became swirls.

"Xatu is unable to battle, which means Sceptile wins this round!" the referee called out.

"Good job Xatu, take a nice, long rest." Will said as he recalled his Pokémon.

"I expected better, Sceptile. Don't displease me next time." Satoshi growled.

Will looked shocked. "But you won this round. What did Sceptile do wrong?"

"He slowed down, and because of that, Future Sight will affect our next round. If he had hit faster, that would have been avoided, and he knows that. Now can we continue?" Satoshi replied, and Will nodded. "Of course. Jynx, show them your power!"

* * *

Pallet Town, Kanto

Silver was watching TrainerNow, the show on all official League battles and Conferences, as well as Contests and Grand Festivals. He had told Misty, Gary, and Delia as well as Professor Oak about Ash, and his meeting with Lance. They were upset, but Misty and Gary had faith in Ash's abilities.

Silver didn't tell this to anyone, but he was watching TrainerNow for any signs of Team Rocket. He knew their plan, and if they started it, he needed to tell Lance. Just then, Misty Waterflower walked into the living room, and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Watching for signs of Ash or Team Rocket?" she asked him. Silver jumped slightly. "How did y-"

She cut him off. "It's obvious. Do you see him?"

Silver shook his head. "No. Nothing."

The two of them turned to the screen. A new broadcast popped up.

_"Live from Indigo Plateau, we have a trainer challenging Will of the Elite Four. We have heard that his name is Satoshi, and his only known Pokémon right now is Sceptile. He has already taken out Will's Xatu, using only two moves, and very powerful ones too. For you younger viewers, Sceptile is a Hoenn Pokémon, and the final form of Treecko, a Grass type starter Pokémon, and very rare in the wild. But it has been confirmed that he is from Viridian City, in Kanto, not Hoenn. So who is this mystery trainer from Viridian, and what other Pokémon does he have up his sleeve? This is Mia Newscast, signing off."_

Silver looked at Misty. "Does Ash have a Sceptile?"

Misty shrugged. "I have no idea. I stopped traveling with him when he went to Hoenn."

"Ash had a Grovyle in Hoenn, and it could have evolved." Gary's voice could be heard as he stepped into the room. "So the question is, is Satoshi actually Ash?" he finished.

"But why would Team Rocket challenge the League?" Misty questioned.

Silver spoke up. "Who is the most powerful person in a region?"

"The Champion, Silver. Why?" Gary answered, confused.

"What does Lance have to do with this?" Misty asked.

"Don't you get it? If Team Rocket has a Champion on their payroll, think of the power they would gain! Plus, Lance is a target for Giovanni. He is rebellious, and if you want to take over the world, you need to get rid of people who could be considered threats!" Silver shouted._ These people didn't understand. Champions are power, and Giovanni wants power. How can I make them understand?_

* * *

Indigo League, Kanto

"Jynx is unable to battle, which means that Infernape is the winner of this round!" the ref called out again.

After recalling Jynx, he studied the challenger. Satoshi was cold towards his Pokémon most of the time, but at times Will could sense kindness, compassion, and worry.

"Slowbro, take them out!" Will shouted as his pink, dopey Pokémon came out in a white flash of light. "Slowwww" it yawned.

Satoshi went first. "Mach Punch, then turn it into Close Combat!"

"Innnnfernape!" his Pokémon replied as it swiftly punched Slowbro in its stomach, then pushed it upward and started to furiously attack it, leaving it's Defence and Special Defence to lower after it finished. Slowbro hit the ground hard, but pushed itself back up.

"Good job, Slowbro, now use Psychic!"

"Slowwwwwbro!" he called out as his eyes glowed blue, and held Infernape in a tight gaze. Infernape lifted off the ground, then when flying into the wall. Somehow, it got up, and obeyed the command for a Flamethrower, which hit Slowbro, and it collapsed.

"Slowbro is unable to battle, which means that Infernape wins this round!"

Will sighed. _This guy is tough! Who is he?_

* * *

"Exeggutor, stand by!" Will called out.

"Exe Exe Exeggutor!" his Coconut Tree Pokémon called out.

"Return, Infernape." Satoshi told his Pokémon, and it went back into the red and white sphere.

"Gabite, I choose you!" he yelled.

"Gab Gab Gabite!"

"Exeguttor, use Hypnosis!" Will shouted.

"Gabite, Dig!" Ash countered.

As Exeguttor sent pink circles at Gabite, the land shark jumped up, then swiftly drilled a hole into the ground, leaving nothing but a round hole.

"Egg Bomb!" Will commanded.

Exeggutor shot a dozen white, shiny eggs into the air, and as they landed, each spreaded out with an explosion that rocked the battlefield, and sent Gabite up out of the ground, flying into the air."Dragon Rush, now!" Satoshi cried, as Gabite roared, and surrounded himtself in blue energy and shot downward.

"Exeguttor, use Reflect!" Will called out, and Exeggutor cheerfully obliged as she created a pink barrier out of space, halving the damage from Gabite. He flipped backwards, as Satoshi called out his next move, and a devastating one.

"Draco Meteor!"

Gabite concentrated as it launched an orange ball of pure energy up into the air, exploding into small comets that fell from the sky, each one more powerful than the last. Exeggutor danced around to avoid them, and she looked very happy, until a larger one hit her directly one the head, causing the Coconut Tree Pokémon to faint.

"Exeggutor is unable to battle, which means that Gabite wins this round!" the referee called out, excited for the next round of this impressive battle.

* * *

Pallet Town, Kanto

"Silver, are you watching this?" Gary Oak called. The trio had been watching TrainerNow for more about the battle against Will, and now Mia Newscaster was back on.

_"So far, Will has lost 4 Pokémon to Satoshi of Viridian City, and is down to his last Pokémon, Grumpig, to defeat this unknown trainer. No viewers have called in with information about this teen from Viridian, who is now told to have an Infernape and Gabite, as well as a Sceptile. If you know more on Satoshi, please, call in to TrainerNow._ _I'm Mia Newscaster, bringing viewers like you the up-and-coming news, right here, right now."_

"Who is this guy? He's used three Pokémon, and is totally crushing Will!" Misty voiced.

"Even Ash couldn't do that." Gary added.

Silver just stayed silent. He didn't have anything to say.

* * *

"Grumpig is unable to battle, which means Gabite is the winner and the match goes to Satoshi of Viridian!" the referee called out, and Gabite jumped up in a victory stance, before it's sudden recalling.

Will scowled at the trainer. He once thought he saw a spark in his eyes, but it was gone now, extinguished with his win.

"Good luck against Lorelei. You'll need it tomorrow." Will commented. Satoshi nodded, shook Will's hand, and walked out of the room, the blond girl at his heels.

As soon as he left, Will went down the elevator to the Elite Four meeting room. There he saw Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance. "He's amazing, and super powerful." Will said bitterly. Agatha looked at him. "Sore loser?" she taunted.

"No, I'm disgusted by this poor excuse for a trainer. He has no compassion at all for his Pokémon, and when he recalled his Sceptile, he was upset that it was too slow, and how it cost him. No 'thank yous', no 'good jobs', just 'I expected better'. How do these teens become trainers? How do they even get a license?" Will ranted.

Nobody said anything. They were all thinking about what Will had said, and how they felt about it. It was all going through their heads. _He's a quiet, mysterious, and powerful trainer. What are we going to do?_

* * *

"Nice work, and tomorrow you battle Lorelei. Don't screw this up, or else."

"Yes _sir." _Satoshi replied. The other line hung up, and Satoshi had a new determined look. His work was cut out for him, and he would get the job done.

* * *

**_Hello to all who read this fanfic "In My Darkest Hour". I know it's a lot, 'cause the Traffic Graph is at 878 right now. I would like to ask that someone could please review. It's hard to write without someone telling you if you're on the right track, or if you should change something. Just sayin'!_**

**_Anyway, goodbye for now, Ty8 ^_^_**

**_P. S. I don't own Pokémon. I do own... Never mind. It doesn't matter._**


	8. A Freezing Cold Knockout

**Hello, I'm back, and I'm bringing this icy chapter with me. Remember, I don't own Pokémon, icicles, or those cold, fluffy, white things that melt on your tongue and leave minuscule particles of dirt on it. But you keep sticking your tongue out, and I'll keep writing my fanfiction about Ash. Ty8, over and out!**

**P.S. They look like this - ***

* * *

Indigo Plateau, Kanto

"This next battle will be between Satoshi from Viridian City vs. Lorelei of the Elite Four. Ready, set, battle begin!" the referee called out, and tensions rose as the battle began.

"Lapras, start this off! "Lorelei yelled as her faithful starter came out.

"Lapras!" she cried out couragiously.

"Sceptile, don't make another mistake and win this!" Satoshi called out as his Forest Pokémon came out. Lorelei cringed at his hurtful words.

"Sceptile!" he called out. "Use Solarbeam, and do it fast!" Satoshi commanded.

"Lapras, counter it with Blizzard!"

As Sceptile powered up the bulbs on its back, Lapras created a whirlwind of freezing snow and ice chips and aimed it a Sceptile.

"Dodge it, then fire your attack!" Satoshi called out, praying to Arceus that it worked.

"Scept!" Sceptile called out as it leaped up into the air, then fired a beam of sunlight at Lapras. As Lapras was hit, she fainted instantly, and Sceptile fell back towards the ground, and took quite a bit of damage from the remaining Blizzard. Landing shakily, it nodded at Satoshi, and he put the Pokéball away.

"Lapras is unable to battle, which means that Sceptile wins this match!"

Lorelei smiled. She knew what to do. "Tentacruel, let's finish this!"

Tentacruel gave an eerie smile as it was released, not even bothering to say it's name.

Lorelei took the first move. "Poison Jab!" she called out.

"Cruel!" he replied as he came forward fast with a poisonous tentacle. Sceptile had no time to dodge as he was hit hard in the abdomen. Enduring the powerful hit, Sceptile took his revenge by obeying his trainer's command and used Night Slash and Leaf Blade together.

Tentacruel took both hits as he retreated. "Tenta!" he cried to his trainer. It was Satoshi's turn to smile. "Use Frenzy Plant!"

"Scepttttile!" Sceptile yelled as it jumped up, flipped mid-air, and slammed it's tail on the battlefield, creating long, brown roots to break out from underground. They surrounded Tentacruel, and flung it into the bright blue wall, it's eyes swirling. "Tentacruel." it weakly mumbled in defeat.

"Tentacruel is unable to battle, which means Sceptile wins the match!" the ref called out.

Lorelei returned the Water/Poison Pokémon. "Good job. Take a rest." She then frowned. _I lost two of my best to this Sceptile. Maybe it's time for Cloyster?_

"Cloyster, it's your turn!" she called out as she flung her Ultra Ball, releasing her powerful Pokémon. It immeadietly withdrawed into it's dark purple shell.

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Satoshi commanded to his Forest Pokémon. Sceptile weakly nodded, and fiercely attacked with the bright green blades that grew from it's arm.

"Ice Beam!" Lorelei countered, and her Cloyster, without opening it's she'll, launched a light blue beam at the strong Sceptile, who froze solid.

"Since Sceptile can no longer battle, Cloyster wins this match!" the referee called out.

* * *

Domino looked at Ash angrily. He was suppost to take the Elite's Pokémon out, not the other way around! He looked calm though, almost happy, as he released his next Pokémon.

* * *

Pallet Town, Kanto

A brown haired teen walked up to the front door of Ash's house. A young boy had directed her to this blue house. She knocked quickly on the door, only for a red haired boy to open it. "Who are you?" he snapped. Angry, she snapped back. "I could ask you the same thing! Now, do you know where Ash is? I came as soon as I could to see him after the Lily of the Valley Conference ended. He was amazing!"

Misty walked up to the door. "Silver, who's at the door? Is it another tele-" she stopped short. "May?" she whispered.

The Co-ordinator smiled. "The one and only!"

* * *

"Ash is missing and no one bothered to tell me?" May shrieked. Gary had to cover his ears.

"Keep it down, or I will kick you out myself!" Silver yelled at her. She then burst into tears.

"Nice going, Silver. Real smooth." Gary said sarcastically to the former Rocket.

"Oh yah Oak? You think you could take me on?" Silver replied angrily to the researcher.

"I bet I could beat you!"

"You really wanna bet on that? Or are you use to losing?"

The heated conversation ended when Misty swung her mallet and hit them sharply on both of their heads, causing them to collapse.

"Sorry about those guys, May." the Gym Leader said, then handed her a tissue.

May sniffled. "Thanks. So you say Team Rocket has Ash right?"

Misty nodded.

"And they want to take over the League?" May continued, and Misty nodded again. Gary and Silver sat up, a bruise on their heads.

"Then did you even see the guy on TrainerNow challenging the League? It's obviously Ash! His middle name is Satoshi!" May cried out, only to have been inturrupted by the boys once again.

"I KNEW IT!" Silver and Gary yelled, only to collapse again from Misty's fast handiwork.

"We ALL knew it!" she yelled at them, and they weakly nodded.

* * *

"Staraptor, I choose you!" Satoshi yelled as the Predator Pokémon came out furiously, crying out "Staraptor!"

"Cloyster, Pin Missile!" Lorelei called out. Cloyster launched large, pointy, sharp and deadly missiles at the bird, only for it to dodge each one as it ascended.

"Now, use Brave Bird!" Satoshi called out, and Staraptor went into a steep dive, gaining speed as it lit on fire, the orange flames turning to blue energy as Staraptor came up, and hit Cloyster hard, and came back to it's trainer, cringing as recoil came into effect.

"Cloyster is unable to battle, so Staraptor is the winner!" the ref called out happily.

_My referee is biased! _Lorelei thought as she pulled her fourth Pokéball out.

"Dewgong, win this!" she yelled.

"Dew Dew!" Dewgong cheered as she got ready to battle.

"Aerial Ace!"

"Surf then Ice Beam!"

Staraptor swiftly flew forward, and Aerial Ace came into effect as he got closer. Meanwhile, Dewgong created a huge wave, then froze it, creating a shield of ice. Staraptor had no choice but to smash into it, and then missed Dewgong completely.

"Starrrrrrr!" he cried. Satoshi sighed. "Return, Staraptor, this isn't your fight."

* * *

While Lorelei was battling, Bruno, Agatha, Will and Lance were watching intensely on a flat screen TV. The battlefield had a camera that showed the battle. Bruno finally broke the long-kept silence.

"So this kid has a strong fighting spirit, almost indistructible Pokémon, and either incredible luck or immense skill to win every time."

Lance sighed. "He's going to beat me. Might as well say it now."

Agatha scowled. " Of course he's going to win if you keep up that attitude! Believe in yourself, and Lorelei and all of us. Believe." she scolded.

Will spoke up. "He does believe. He believes that he's going to lose. I don't need to be psychic to see that."

"Thank you Will. I fully believe in you now."

Bruno snorted. "Where was that support yesterday?"

Lance snickered. "Yesterday I was still believing in myself. Now, I can spead it around!"

Agatha facepalmed. _Those men are so immature!_

* * *

"Charizard, let's go!" Satoshi yelled.

"CHARRR!" he cried ferociously.

"Overheat!" Satoshi commanded as his "starter" Pokémon destroyed Dewgong. It was a KO attack. Dewgong fell over, unable to continue.

"Dewgong can no longer battle, so Charizard wins this round!" the referee called out.

Sighing, Lorelei called out her last Pokemon. "Piloswine, you're up!"

"Pilo!" he cried. Lorelei stayed strong. "Mud Bomb!" she commanded.

"Charizard, Dragon Tail!" Satoshi yelled, as Charizard swung his blue tail over his head, and took Piloswine out immeadietly.

"Piloswine is unable to battle, which means that Charizard is the victor and the match goes to Satoshi of Viridian City!" the referee cheered.

"Return, my friend." Satoshi recalled his Pokémon, and grasped Lorelei's hand.

* * *

Lance and the Elites gasped. "He's unbelievable!" Bruno shouted.

Agatha smiled. "Well then, I'm sure even a black belt like you can't win, Bruno." she taunted. He growled. "Of course I can win! I'll take him out!" he yelled.

"Calm down, and save that energy for tomorrow!" Lance told the Fighting type Elite.

"Fine. But I will beat him to a pulp." Bruno pouted.

* * *

A once vicious Pokémon wandered the forest near Indigo Plateau. He was tired, and was looking for shelter. Hearing a human, he slowly and cautiously came closer to the voice.

"You guys all did great out there. Tomorrow, we're up against Bruno, and Pikachu, you're starting off. We'll train 'til sundown, so get started!"

The legendary smirked. How fitting that it was Ash Ketchum he had found. _I shall watch him, and perhaps help out._

* * *

**Okay, that's it! Guess who it is? Hint: it's not Arceus. Good luck!**

**Bye-Bye, Ty8 &amp; Barbecute!**


	9. Power Play

**Disclaimer:**** Pokémon does not belong to me. To tell the truth, I tried to change it on Wikipedia, but failed. Oh well. I tried, right?**

**Why won't Nintendo let me have it? I asked nicely the first time!**

* * *

Bruno cracked his knuckles menacingly. After discussing the matter with Will and Lance, he had decided to team up with Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Hitmontop, Machamp, and his old partner, Poliwrath. He was the oldest, but his strength and speed could not be rivalled.

"Punch, punch, kick, Focus Punch, punch, punch, Hydro Pump, kick, punch, finish it!" Bruno coached. His Poliwrath was a little rusty, but nothing could compare to that fighting spirit.

"Poli, Poli, Wrath, Poliwrath, Poli, Poli, Poliwrath, Wrath, Poli, Poliwrath!" his Pokémon repeated. Today was the match, and he was ready.

"Bruno, it's time for your match, so go out there and win this!" Lance called out to the Elite. He had some hope in Bruno, and better than that, he had faith.

"Alright, return Poliwrath, I'll need you later." Bruno said. He was pumped up, and eager to go.

* * *

"Pika! Pikachu!" he Pikachu cried out as Ash tried to get him down from the tree.

"Come on, they'll know it's me if you ride in on my shoulder! Please?" Ash coaxed.

Pikachu shook his head.

"I can get you in, but will you go in yourself?"

"Chuuuuu!" was his reply, as he dodged a weak Thundershock.

"Come on!"

* * *

The Pokéball shook angrily in his hand as Satoshi stepped onto the battlefield. It had been an exhausting and painful experience, put he somehow got Pikachu in. Bruno stepped forward, his arm muscles rippling. "Ready Satoshi?" he yelled. Satoshi nodded.

"Hitmonlee, let's go!" Bruno called out, his Pokéball flashing as it released a brown, two-legged Pokémon. It's arms and legs were made of springs, and the Pokémon looked well trained.

"Chu, you're up!" Satoshi shouted, and Pikachu came out, cheeks sparking. He tilted his head towards Satoshi, and grinned at him menacingly. He would pay later.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball, and do it fast!" Satoshi commanded.

"Throw it back, Blaze Kick!" Bruno countered, as Pikachu gathered a ball of electricity on his tail, and flung it sharply at Hitmonlee, who was too slow and was struck by the miniature ball of lightning.

"Keep it up, Iron Tail followed by Thunder!" Satoshi yelled, and the little mouse jumped up and spun, and his tail hardened to steel as he flashed with electricity, causing thunderclouds to form and strike him as he swung his tail and slammed it into Hitmonlee, knocking it down for the count.

"Hitmonlee is no longer able to continue, Pikachu has won this round!" the ref called.

As Bruno recalled his Pokémon, he decided to send out the champ.

"Machamp, your turn!" he shouted.

A four-armed Pokémon came out, and chuckled. "Champ Ma." he called back to his trainer. "Don't underestimate this Pikachu. Use Cross Chop!" Bruno warned.

"Take it head on! Use Volt Tackle, max power!" Satoshi commanded.

As Machamp rushed forward, Pikachu darted across the rocky battleground, releasing thousands of volts of electricity, turning into a powerful Volt Tackle. As Machamp's arms crossed and uncrossed onto Pikachu's head, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon endured the hit and struck Machamp hard in his chest, creating an explosion.

"Machamp is unable to battle, Pikachu wins this round!" the referee called out.

Angered, Bruno recalled his brave Machamp, and decided to risk it.

"Poliwrath, you're up!"

* * *

Lance nearly fainted.

"Why would he choose a Water type to battle a Pikachu!?" Lorelei exclaimed.

Agatha shrugged. She had no explanation for this stupid idea.

"Remember, Poliwrath is also a Fighting type. Bruno probably has a strategy." Will suggested. The thought still didn't make Lance feel better.

* * *

As Bruno recalled his Machamp, Ash thought about what was happening.

_I never thought I could get this far. Yet, here I am, winning against Bruno of the Elite Four. My dream is coming true, yet without my friends of family, this isn't real. As long as I'm winning for Team Rocket and Giovanni, this will never feel real. I can't do this!_

Domino glanced at him. He looked unnerved.

"Satoshi, are you okay? Need anything?" she asked. He looked startled, but shook his head.

"I'm fine." he replied.

* * *

"Poli, Poliwrath!" the Frog Pokémon called out. He didn't care about a type disadvantage. The tiny Pikachu wouldn'tstand a chance.

"Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!" Bruno called out.

"Quick Attack to dodge, Pikachu!" Satoshi countered. The tiny Pokémon glowed and a white trail of light was all you could see as it sped around the field.

"Poli!" Poliwrath called out as he hit Pikachu with the Hypnosis attack, and Pikachu was fast asleep.

"Wake up, and use Thunderbolt!" Satoshi begged, but Pikachu snored in response.

"Now use Focus Punch!" Bruno smiled, his Pokémon gaining the upper hand.

Poliwrath concentrated, and Pikachu, well, he snored.

Poliwrath jumped up, and slammed his fist into Pikachu's stomach, knocking it back across the battlefield. As Pikachu crashed into the wall, Bruno knew his risky move had paid off.

"Pikachu is unable to continue, so Poliwrath wins this round!"

Sighing, Satoshi quickly recalled Pikachu so that he wouldn't make a scene.

* * *

"Infernape, show him a real disadvantage!" Satoshi yelled as the fire monkey came out onto the battlefield. "Infernape!" he nodded.

"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump!" Bruno called out.

"Poli Poliwrath!" he replied as a torrent of water was fired at Infernape.

"Close Combat to counter it, then use Mach Punch!" Satoshi commanded.

As the Hydro Pump came closer, Infernape blocked it with a flurry of punches and kicks, blasting it back at Poliwrath. He then ran forward and punched Poliwrath in the middle of his hypnotic belly, taking him out.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle, which means Infernape wins this round!" the ref cheered.

Bruno recalled his Pokémon. "Go, Hitmonchan!"

As Hitmonchan came out, he punched at the air, signalling a fight to begin.

"Mach Punch!"

"Thunder Punch!"

The two ran towards each other, and attacked.

* * *

"Ash is winning, right?" May inquired.

Gary nodded. Silver had his eyes glued to the T.V., hoping for an update, and Misty was collapsed on the couch next to Gary. They both couldn't help but feel pride in the fact that Ash, Ash Ketchum, was winning against the Elite Four. May was sitting on a nearby armchair, thinking about everything that they had discovered.

"Silver, what do you think will happen if Ash defeats Lance, but he is a part of Team Rocket?" Misty questioned. Silver couldn't answer, so May turned off the T.V. and aimed a kick at his head, which he dodged.

"Team Rocket will be in control, I guess." Silver answered as he grabbed the remote from May and switched the television back on.

* * *

"Infernape and Hitmonchan are both unable to battle, which means that this round is a draw!" the referee called out as both trainers recalled their Pokémon.

"Hitmontop, come on out!"

"Staraptor, I choose you!"

The two Pokémon came out, and it was immediate. The battle was on.

"Aerial Ace!" Satoshi yelled.

"Triple Kick!" Bruno countered.

Starptor was faster, as he hit Hitmontop, stopping him from attacking.

"Now, use Close Combat!" Satoshi commanded.

"Dig, quickly!" Bruno tried, but it was hopeless as Staraptor knocked Hitmontop out.

"Hitmontop is unable to battle, Staraptor is the victor and the match goes to Satoshi!"

* * *

"Agatha, you're up next. Good luck!" Lance smiled.

Will turned to the older woman. "See if you can get some information on him. I looked him up, and there's no one in Viridian under the name Satoshi. Also, see if you can figure out his battle strategy."

Lorelei looked upset. "Why didn't you tell us about your search?"

"I wasn't sure. Besides, Agatha is the best when it comes to extracting information."

The older woman smirked. "Obviously. I'm the master of the Ghost type Pokémon."

* * *

"Ash won!" Misty cheered. Gary looked very proud.

Silver was upset. "No. He can't be doing that."

"What?" May asked.

"Ash is going to become Champion, and with him, Giovanni will be in control."

He stood up. "Being Champion is like having all the political power. Sure, Giovanni could run for mayor, but he wants full power. So if Ash is at his command, he could get people to do what he wants. Everyone listens to the Champion because he is the strongest and he knows what's right. But Giovanni will lead them, and he and Team Rocket will take over."

The others didn't know what to say. All of them could see it in their heads.

* * *

Ash wandered through the bushes. Domino suggested capturing a Dark type Pokémon.

He noticed a small, brown, fluffy thing near an oak tree. It looked up at him shyly.

"Eevee?"

* * *

**And Satoshi won!**

**Obviously, I'm biased. It happens when you write about characters.**

**Sorry, it's been a while. I'm really busy, so I might update slower. But I will continue the story, for sure!**

**Also, please don't change Wikipedia. No matter how much you want to now.**

**Ty8, signing off!**


	10. May The Strongest Succeed

**Hello, I'm back with even more of my fanfic!**

**Did you miss me? No? Well, I still don't own Pokémon. *sigh***

**Try, try again, right?**

* * *

The Eevee stood up briskly. "Vee?" she asked, surprised.

Ash slowly reached for a Pokéball. _Careful... don't frighten it. _He enlarged the red and white sphere and lightly tossed it at the tiny Pokémon. It landed on the grass, an inch away from her. She nudged the button with her nose, and dissapeared in a red glow. The Pokéball shook once, twice, three times, and then layed still. Ash grabbed the sphere and released the Pokémon. "Hello Eevee." he whispered. She took one look at him and smiled. "Ee Eevee!"

* * *

Pallet Town, Kanto

"Misty! Come on!" May called out as she yanked on the doorknob.

"Just a sec, I'm almost done!"

May backed up, and was about to knock down the door when Misty opened it from the other side, startling her and causing her to trip and fall on her face. "Oww..." she groaned.

After hearing about the League battles on TrainerNow, the group had decided to go to Indigo Plateau and find "Satoshi", who they believed was Ash. They decided to stock up on supplies and get ready for a long journey, and Misty was finishing her hair.

Gary stomped up the stairs. "What is taking you so long?" He was in his Sinnoh attire, and May was wearing her more recent orange and green outfit as well. Silver was wearing an all black outfit. Misty had decided to go in her favourite outfit, a yellow crop top, light blue shorts and suspenders.

Misty grabbed her bag and raced down the stairs, followed by Gary and May. Silver was leaning on the doorframe of the odoor round door. "Time to go?" he asked. May nodded.

The teens walked out to the edge of Pallet Town, and May stopped them. "What is it May?" Silver questioned as she looked upset." I forgot my bandana!" she cried as she ran back to the Ketchum's house.

* * *

"Where were you?" Domino said as she struck a match. The sun was setting, and she was starting a fire. The flames grew bigger, so she quickly dropped the wooden stick onto a pile of wood and bits of grass.

Domino was about to shoot him a glare when she noticed the Eevee in his arms. Ash smiled." I have the perfect nickname for her."

"And I care about a nickname _why?_" Domino growled, losing her patience. Her fire was dwindling. "What are you going to evolve it into?"

Ash was shocked. "I'll let Eve decide. It's her choice." Domino rolled her eyes.

Ash set Eve down and released Charizard. He pointed to the feebly sparking fire, and Charizard nodded. The dragon let out a light Flamethrower, nearly lighting Domino on fire. The flames in the fire grew large, and heat rolled off them. Ash thanked Charizard, and released everyone else.

"Staraptor!"

"Sceptile!"

"Gabite!"

"Infernape!"

"Crap! I forgot about Pikachu!" Ash yelled. Even Charizard looked a little scared.

The Pokéball shook roughly as he unclipped it from his belt. It grew in his hand, and the light gleamed off the thunderbolt sticker. Ash tapped the button and a white flash came out. As it dissapeared, a yellow mouse sat camly, cheeks sparking and it's tail straight up.

"P-Pikachu? Are you okay?" Ash asked his best friend slowly.

That was a bad choice of words.

* * *

Viridian City, Kanto

"We have got to go shopping!" May exclaimed as they stepped into Viridian Square. It was surrounded by shops of all kinds.

"No, we have to go to Victory Road and follow it to Indigo Plateau." Silver spoke calmly.

"But... shopping?" May said weakly. Both Gary and Misty shook their heads.

May sighed as they walked past the stores to the entrance to Victory Road.

"Halt! To pass, you must have all 8 badges of either the Kanto League or the Jonto League." a security guard said as he stopped them in their tracks.

"I have all 8 of Kanto and Jonto, I didn't bring them," Gary started to say, but the guard stopped him. "No badges, no entry."

Silver reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black case. He opened it to reveal all 8 badges of the Jonto League. "May we pass?" he asked, ignoring the looks from May, Misty, and Gary.

The guard nodded. "Good luck against the Elites."

* * *

"PikaCHU!"

"CHU!"

"CHU!"

Ash dodged another Thunderbolt. "I said I was sorry!"

Pikachu stopped. "PikaPi Pika Pikachu ChuPi Chu? Pika PikaPi!" he called out angrily as he shot another Thunderbolt at his PikaPi. It hit Ash and the teen cringed. Pikachu stopped suddenly when Gabite grabbed him. The Cave Pokemon stopped the electricity from flowing with his Ground type. "Gab Gab Gabite." he said slowly as he pointed to a shaking fluff on the ground, covering her head. "Pi?"

"EeVEE!" she cried as she jumped up and shot a Shadow Ball at the yellow mouse, missing his head by a centimeter. She then went over to Ash and sat in his lap as he was getting up. Domino was hiding in a bush, Charizard and Staraptor were up in the air out of the range of fire, and Sceptile and Infernape were in defensive positions. Pikachu calmed himself down.

A loud noise broke the silence. Ash chuckled. "Can we eat? I'd really like some stew right now."

Domino looked at him like he was insane.

* * *

"Gary, admit it: we're lost." Misty scowled as the researcher pushed past branches. "We are not lost, we just don't know where we are." he replied.

"And that is the definition of..." Silver mumbled, just loud enough for Gary to hear.

The brunette turned to him. "And you can find you way to Victory Road, can you? Well then, be my guest! I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you know how to avoid Ursaring territory, or Beedrill nest. It is Kakuna season, after all. But you obviously know the way, don't you." Gary ranted, his every word dripping with sarcasm. He thrusted the map into Silver's arms angrily.

Silver glanced at it. He turned to May. "We went through a cave?"

She nodded.

"Then," the teen said proudly " we are not lost." He pushed past another branch, only to see a white pillar made of gleaming marble.

The group of exhausted teens found themselves staring at an immense marble building with a glass dome for its roof, sparkling in the light. Four pillars stood in front of the palace, each with a word carved into the top.

_ May The Strongest Succeed_

A set of stairs led from the dirt path to a tall pair of wooden doors. Each one had a name engraved into it, like a list. Gary looked at the first.

Red Hitokage 1998-2000 Kanto

The next one said something different. Gary mouthed the words.

Gold Hibiki 2000-2003 Jonto

He glanced at some others, recognizing a few, others drew him a blank.

Lucas Kouki 2005-2007 Sinnoh

Many others had random names. May spoke up. "These are all the Champions. Past and present." she said as she noticed one saying Steven Stone 2003-2005 Hoenn and above it, Wallace Mikuri 2005- Hoenn.

Silver stopped at the stair beneath his feet and, out of curiosity, looked at the name. It made his heart stop.

Crystal Waninoko 2003-2005 Jonto

"Crystal," he whispered. He hadn't seen her since the defeat of the Masked Man.

They all eventually made it to the top, where two names were instantly recognized.

Cynthia Shirona 2007- Sinnoh

Lance Wataru 2000- Kanto

"Cynthia, Lance, and Wallace. The only ones without their final year on the step." Misty said. The teens stepped through the doors to see a near empty hall with a Pokémon Centre on the left and a Pokémart on the right. A blond haired girl and her raven haired companion had just stepped away from Nurse Joy. The boy was putting Pokéballs on his belt.

"As-" May began, but was cut off by Silver's hand."Move. Now." Silver whispered frantically and shoved the trio over as the two unknown trainers walked through the door, the blond oblivious. He noticed the raven haired teen raise three of the fingers on his hand behind his back.

When they had gone far enough down the stairs, May spoke excitedly. "Ash! That was Ash!"

Silver's glare silenced her. "And with him was Domino, a master assassin and high ranking Rocket." _Three meant stay back._

Gary snapped him out of his thoughts. "Where's Misty?"

* * *

Domino heard something snap as she walked with Ash back to camp. She stopped him. "We're being followed." she growled. "I'll take care of it. Training, right?" Ash asked, his heart beating rapidly. Domino looked suspicious for a minute, but deciding he was right, called back to him as she walked into the trees. "You know where I am."

As soon as she was gone, Ash turned towards the trees. "I know you're there."

Misty stepped forward. "Ash?" she said, her voice barely audible.

"Satoshi now." he replied, no emotion in his voice.

"What," Misty cried "are you doing?"

"Winning the Indigo League. What, you thought I was hunting Caterpie?" he said, a smile flickered quickly across his face.

Misty shuddered. She hated the creepy worms.

"Come home. Please?" she begged, grabbing his arm, but he tugged it away.

"I can't. You don't undestand."

She wouldn't give up. "Delia misses you. Gary misses you. _I miss you."_

He came closer. "If I return, you will all be in grave danger."

"Did it ever cross your mind that I don't care?"

With that, she crossed the gap and kissed him on the lips. And he didn't pull away.

* * *

**Done!**

**P-O-K-É-S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G**

**What does that spell? Romance! Sorry about the slow updates. I'm moving, and I don't have a lot of time. By the way, I'm looking for a Beta who can help me with better romance and my plot, so PM me if you can help. Also, what should Eevee evole into? Remember, there's 7 different evolutions not counting Sylveon, and I can only pick one. Review or PM me your answer.**

**Ty8, packaging off! ^_^**


	11. The Ghost Of A Win - Part 1

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Pokémon. Yet.**

**And we're back to the Elite challenge! Next up, Agatha, the mysterious old woman. Also, if I don't get suggestions for Eevee, I'll choose an evolution, so please give me you opinion, and do it fast!**

**Also, I have been having writers block, so don't be mad about me not updating. I have 3 stories to work on and no idea where to start. This somehow came out. Also, I'm hoping to have Ash catch something else later on. I would love suggestions (non-legendary) so please, tell me what you'd like to see.**

* * *

Ash sat on a piece of wood, his thoughts troubled. He had 7 Pokémon to choose from, and today he was facing Agatha. Yesterday was a close call against Bruno, and he couldn't risk losing too many Pokémon. He had to win the League, and avoid his friends. Thankfully, Domino hadn't noticed Silver yesterday, along with Gary, May and _Misty_.

The thought of the red haired girl reminded him of the ocean breeze and the beautiful shade of blue in her eyes. Her hair was in a simple side ponytail, and it looked cute, along with her tiny nose and smooth fingers.

She had kissed him, and then disappeared. He didn't understand how he felt; the feelings were tangled underneath the strong instinct of staying prepared for battle, along with Giovanni's threatening words dangling above, reminding him of the power he held, and the desire to protect her.

"Pikapi?"

Ash turned around to see his faithful Pikachu looking at him curiously, his face worried. The raven haired boy smiled. "I'm fine, Pikachu. No need to worry!" he joked half-heartedly. Ash turned around and picked up the tiny mouse and gave him a hug, starling him. He put him down gently and closed his eyes. "Pika Pikachu?" the mouse suggested. Ash smiled and opened them again, his eyes having a spark that had been gone for days. "Great idea! I'll use him to battle Gengar, and then use the others to take out the rest of her team. Eve has a slight advantage, being a normal type, but I'll have to check her moveset. If she only knows Normal type moves, then I'll have to train her a bit before 11:00 so she will do some damage."

"Pika Pika!" his partner cheered.

* * *

A group of young teens gathered around the remains of a warm fire as it crackled and sparked once in a while. One was daydreaming in her own thoughts while another was brushing her brown hair into two pigtails, a young man was looking at a Pokéball with slight interest and the oldest boy was poking at the feeble flames of their morning fire with a long stick.

Misty couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and worry along with a hint of confusion. _I actually kissed Ash! But why did he leave? Maybe now he's avoiding me 'cause he likes someone else! He's probably in love with that blond girl he was hanging out with! Oh yeah, he's head over heels with her!_

"Misty, could you maybe put your mallet away?" Gary asked slowly. The redhead had pulled it out in her rage. She glanced at it before putting it back into the Disortion World.

"Sorry Gary, I was just thinking about something."

"Where you thinking about when Ash kissed you?" May piped up. Misty turned bright red and Gary looked at her in shock. Silver stopped poking the fire.

"Ash kissed you?" he yelled. Misty blushed furiously and turned to May. "How did you know?"

The brunette smiled. "When we all split up to find you, I could see you through a gap in the trees as you two went closer together. Of course, it was so romantic! That lastditching you said was perfect!" May gushed.

Gary looked at Misty. "So, what did you say?"

Misty started to get mad. " I'm warning you, Oak." she said calmly.

"Come on, tell us!" Gary urged. Silver could have told an Alakazam what would happen next 'cause you didn't have to be a genius to know.

WHAM!

The universally feared hammer smashed down on Gary's head, knocking him down. May looked at him. "Is he okay?"Misty smiled. "Don't worry, I only broke one thing, and only temporarily." May looked at her, confusion in her eyes. "What?"

"His ego."

* * *

"This battle between Satoshi of Viridian and Agatha of the Elite Four will now begin!" referee yelled.

"So, Satoshi, huh? Got a last name?" Agatha questioned. She was known for her tricky strategies and distracting her opponents.

"I do. Buisness. None of yours." Satoshi said coolly. Domino smirked behind him.

"Fine." Agatha huffed. She would find out. She always did.

"Ladies first." Satoshi said calmly.

_So this is how he wants to play? Very well. I'll go first._

"Arbok, come out." she said as she released the Cobra Pokémon. Unlike Bruno or Will, she was a calm opponent. She would not yell, nor would she use physical attacks. She was a Ghost type trainer, and she would use that to her advantage.

"Gabite, let's go!" Satoshi called out. The Cave Pokémon grunted, but looked happy nonetheless.

"Arbok, Poison Fang," Agatha commanded. Her Pokémon rushed up and sunk her poisonous fangs into Gabite. At least, she tried to, but couldn't because of a deep hole on the field.

"Dig." Agatha grumbled. She didn't like the move at all. No matter.

"Iron Tail on the ground." she said, her Arbok waiting patiently for a command.

The cobra swung it's iron hard tail into the ground, and a land shark was blasted out of the ground.

"Satoshi, let's make this more exciting. If I knock out your Gabite with my next move, then you'll tell me your last name." Agatha proposed. Satoshi scoffed.

"Really? Fine then. Gabite, use Draco Meteor!" he called to his dragon who had landed shakily. Gabite launched an orange ball of energy towards the roof, where it exploded into small meteors that pounded the field.

Arbok was knocked out. Agatha cursed herself for being so foolish.

* * *

Farther away, a small band of theives were listening to the sounds of their stomachs growl. Their exact location? Somewhere in Kanto. They honestly had no idea.

Meowth suddenly spotted a flicker of orange. "Fire!" he said excitedly.

"Where there's fire, there's food," Jessie added.

"And where there's food, there's Team Rocket!" James finished. The trio was starving, they didn't get the pay raise they were hoping for; in fact, Giovanni had stopped communications with them and took them off the staff list. Technically, they were fired.

Of course, Team Rocket didn't know that.

They carefully snuck through the bushes towards the heat source. They found the fire in the middle of a small camp; four sleeping bags were surrounding the fading fire. James picked up some unused wood and fed the flames, slowly creating a large fire.

that's when they noticed the red haired boy sitting on the ground, watching them.

"Jessie, do we say the new motto?" James whispered. "Of course!" Jessie hissed.

"Prepare for trouble, we don't mean to be rude,"

"And make it double, we really want some food."

"We'd prefer something filling, juicy or yummy,"

"Honestly, we just want to fill our tummies!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Grumbling stomachs make this motto a bore,"

"Right now I could eat a wild boar!"

"Meowth, I'd even take an apple core!"

The trio looked at the teen, who just yawned. "Finished?"

Nearby, a few bushes rustled, and a familiar red haired twer- sorry, teen came out into the campsite. "Team Rocket!" she yelled.

"The twerpette!" the trio yelled in fright.

"Silver, where did they come from?" she growled through clenched teeth, her mallet at her fingertips. Gary stepped out from behind her, using his coat to carry the large amount of berries they had found. May could be heard from farther back as she pushed in front of the Kanto natives. "Come on guys, what's the hold-" She stopped, staring at Team Rocket. "-up." she finished weakly, feeling the tension around everyone.

"You guys." Misty snapped, advancing on them. Each of her steps made them back up two. "I bet it was you guys who caught Pikachu, am I right?" Each word made them flinch. Meowth nodded.

Jessie spoke up. "We gave him to the Boss, but he didn't really want a Pikachu..."

"He yelled at us, we've been hiding in this forest for days." James added.

Meowth nodded. "Dat's the truth!"

"So... Can we have some grub?" James asked timidly. Gary saw his eyes on the ripe berries in his coat.

"Then we'll leave." Jessie said.

Misty was about to tell them to take a berry and put it where the sun don't shine, but May cut in. "You're welcome to share with us. Listen, do you know what Ash has been up to?"

As Team Rocket began to eat, they would speak parts of what they knew.

"I heard dat he disapeared."Meowth mumbled. Jessie nodded.

"We think he's the guy who's challenging the League, Satoshi." Gary informed them.

"Yeah, he sounds like the twerp. We've been listening to the radio; he's all the rage in Kanto. Everybody is in love with the new, mysterious trainer who is destroying the Elite Four." James mentioned.

"Nobody gets past the Elite Four this easily, not like this. He's a good trainer." Silver said, munching on a Cheri Berry.

"Yep, he's good. Right now he's going against Agatha." Jessie said, and pulled out their portable radio.

_"-taking out Agatha's Arbok with a Draco Meteor, Agatha's next Pokémon has been revealed to be a Gengar. It is a known fact that Agatha has at least one Gengar; most trainers have never seen her full team. Stay tuned for updates on the Elite Four battle."_

* * *

**As much as I wanted to get on with the battle, I realised that this would be a two part chapter halfway in. Sorry, but the battle will continue. **

**Ty8, over and out!**


	12. The Ghost Of A Win - Part 2

**Hello** **readers! I know even though you won't admit it, you've been on the edge of you seat waiting for an update to In My Darkest Hour. ^_^**

**...**

**...You haven't? Nice of you to tell me that after I posted the chapter.**

* * *

Agatha glanced at the mysterious trainer from Viridian. No one knew anything else about him, only his first name and where he was from. Agatha swore she'd find out more, and right now was the time.

She released her Gengar onto the rough terrain, watching for a reaction. His eyes flickered with uncertainty. _Good. Stay like that._

"Gengar, use Night Shade." she said, her voice eerily echoing across the battlefield.

"Gabite, dodge it!" Satoshi commanded as the Cave Pokémon effortlessly avoided the attack.

"Now Gengar, Hypnosis." Agatha called out. That was when Satoshi noticed what had happened.

As soon as Gabite had dodged, Gengar had sunk into the ground and reappeared behind him, prepared to strike.

"Gabite, behind you!" Satoshi yelled, but it was too late.

Gabite twisted around and staggered back, but fell asleep as Gengar flashed his eyes and released bright pink circles at the Dragon Pokémon.

"Use Dream Eater."

* * *

The bushes shuffled, and Team Rocket jumped up to their feet.

"Someone's coming! Get the motto ready!"

"Da new one or da old one?"

"The new one!"

Team Rocket had spent the last 20 minutes working on a brand new motto, and even Misty and May had helped.

As the figure stepped into their campsite, Team Rocket began.

"Listen, are those footsteps I hear?"

"Good, then we can say our new motto, loud and clear!"

"We've been on the wrong path and we changed our mind,"

"And because of the twerps, we're on the good side!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Meowth, that's a name!"

"Putting our Boss in his place,"

"We quit Team Rocket,"

"And we're in your face!"

Lance stared at them as they finished. "Who are you?" he said slowly, searching his memory.

Gary stopped typing. "Lance, why are you here?"

Lance shrugged. "I was looking for a good spot to train. Arceus knows I'll need to train hard for tomorrow."

"So As- Satoshi won?" May asked.

Lance shook his head. "Not officially, but Agatha knew she wouldn't win."

Silver walked closer. He had been hiding in the background, but decided to jump in now.

"Besides the fact that to battle the Champion, you have to beat all of the Elite Four, what does Agatha have planned?"

Lance smiled, but everyone else looked at Silver in confusion, until Lance spoke up.

"As you all know, Agatha has some Gengars. Three, in fact. She taught them all how to use two special moves: Hypnosis and Dream Eater. When a Pokémon falls asleep, they could dream about anything; having a battle, eating Pokéchow, relaxing in a field. But studies show that most Pokémon dream about their memories; getting caught, Gym battles, battling in tournaments, or even former Elite Four challenges."

"What does that have to do with Agatha?" Misty asked.

"Satoshi's Pokémon will dream on their memories of him, and that might help figure out who he is." Gary said, and Lance nodded.

"Exactly. We want to know more about him before the Champion battle. Agatha is the best at these things, so she'll know who he is by the end of her battle."

Lance turned around to look at the ex-Team Rocket. They had been trying to sneak into the bushes and hide, but in a flash of light, Dragonite lifted them out.

"I remember you three now. You tried to steal the Red Gyarados from the Lake of Rage after it escaped. You are those idiots from Team Rocket."

"Not anymore!" James exclaimed.

"Yeah, we quit! Didn't you listen to our new and improved motto?" Jessie asked angrily.

"But you were a part of Team Rocket for years, so you could still be arrested." Lance countered.

Silver grumbled, obviously bored. "Sure, arrest them," he started. "You'd only be arresting three idiots who only ever caught one thing, and Giovanni hated it."

Lance glanced at the red haired boy. "What did they catch?" he asked, mildly curious.

"Ash's Pikachu. And it only took them about 5 years to do it."

Lance looked angry. "You three are why Ash went missing." he scowled.

"And the effort got us no points with the Boss!" Jessie complained. James nodded solemnly. "None." he said.

"Dat's no reason to arrest us!" Meowth added.

Lance threw his hands up in anger. "Fine! Go! It would take hours to get you in jail anyway, and I'm suppost to be training right now."

He mumbled something that sounded a lot like " And Agatha would kill me if I lost the battle after she loses hers."

Lance waved at his Dragonite, and the orange Pokémon dropped the ex-Team Rocket trio. Recalling the dragon, he started to walk away.

"Wait! Lance!"

Misty called out to the Champion, and he turned around and nodded, so she continued. "Can we train with you? We need something to do anyway 'cause the radio hasn't updated yet."

Lance thought for a bit. Finally, he nodded. "Sure, why not. And about the radio, it won't update soon; we aren't telling much about the battles. Lorelei has been telling me about the battle through my earpiece, and I wont mind filling you guys in."

Misty smiled and May jumped up. "Great! I have a new appeal to try out anyway! Let's find a spot!"

Attaching her Pokéballs to her belt, May adjusted her bandana and Gary closed his laptop.

Team Rocket no longer, the trio got up shakily. May turned to them. "Have you guys ever actually trained your Pokémon?"

James looked down, and Jessie shook her head. "We don't have time to train, we have to follow you twerps and think of more plans to catch Pikachu."

Gary whispered to Misty "No actual thinking required." which caused a very elaborate cough.

Realising her words, Jessie started to sob. "What will we do now? Without a goal, we're useless!"

Silver looked at them. "If you really want a goal, you could start working against Team Rocket, with us. Or you could start training Pokémon."

May nodded. " Or Contests. Jessiebelle was a good opponent."

James smiled. "Of course we have goals now. Team Rocket agents always have a plan B in an emergency."

"Ex-Team Rocket," Jessie added. "And we're prepared to do our best!"

"Dat's right!"

* * *

"Gabite is unable to battle. Gengar wins!" the referee called out. Satoshi recalled Gabite. "Nice work." he whispered. The mysterious trainer glanced at Domino. She was playing games on her Silph Co. tablet, not giving a second glance at him. Enlarging a Pokéball, he decided to play the game.

"Agatha, you really want to know more about me?" he asked. The old woman smirked. "I would. Are you offering?"

"Sure. You have five moves to take out my next Pokémon. Deal's off if you use Hypnosis." Satoshi proposed. "Totodile, I choose you!"

A burst of light released the Johto starter. "Totototodile!"

"Aqua Tail!" Satoshi yelled.

"Gengar, use Night Shade!" Agatha called out. Why am I so intrigued by this battle?

Totodile's tail was surrounded by a jet of water. He ran forward and swung his tail into the Night Shade, holding steady for a moment before the pressure caused the two attacks to explode. Totodile fell to the floor. "Dile..." he groaned, but got back up, ready to battle. A smile crept up on his face. "Tototototototodile!"

"Shadow Ball, Gengar." Agatha instructed. Gengar shot a black ball of shadow energy straight at Totodile.

"Water Gun to stop it!" Satoshi said, his main focus on the battle. Part of him was thinking about the Elite Four. _Why did it take me 5 years to get here? My team trusts me, they have faith in me, so is this really not something I wanted to do?_

Totodile blocked the attack easily, and pushed it back towards Gengar. The ghost avoided the attack quickly by disappearing into the ground. The Shadow Ball smashed into the wall, and silence overtook the field.

"Toto..." Totodile asked. Satoshi scanned the field.

Agatha closed her eyes and chuckled lightly. "Now, Gengar."

The ghost seemed to appear out of thin air as it smiled and tapped Totodile on his shoulder; Gengar's hand sunk into the tiny alligator, his smile growing larger as Totodile froze, pure fear consuming him. "Dile..." He whispered, his voice getting quiet.

Gengar pulled his arm out of the Water type, a creepy grin plastered on his dark purple face. Totodile did not move; his eyes scanned the room in terror, stopping when they found Satoshi. Satoshi sunk his head. "I must give credit where credit is due; you found a most intriguing loophole in my conditions." He glanced at Totodile. The Pokémon was not moving.

"Return, my friend. You have done well."

* * *

"Seviper, use Poison Tail on Staryu!" Jessie commanded.

"Counter with Water Gun!" Misty called.

In the last hour, the Ex-Team Rocket had gone through such intense training, you wouldn't recognise them now if you saw them. Seriously, Jessie's hair is a mess after that Hydro Pump by Starmie, and Meowth broke three claws. James is still asleep thanks to Beautifly's Sleep Powder.

Meanwhile, Lance had been battling Gary. It was a bit uneven; Gary was pretty strong, but he hadn't competed in a real League battle for 3 years, whereas Lance was the Champion of both Johto and Kanto.

Silver was still at camp, guarding the tents and other items. It was quite dull; the nosiest thing in a 1-mile radar was a Butterfree's wings flapping.

At least, that was until Team Rocket found him.

* * *

"Sceptile, I choose you!" Satoshi smiled, throwing the sphere. A large green lizard came out. "Sceptile!"

Gengar, Shadow Ball." Agatha called out. The Ghost Pokémon threw a blob of shadows at Sceptile, but the Forest Pokémon easily avoided the attack.

"Solarbeam!" his trainer yelled. Sceptile's back glowed, and he released a beam of light at Gengar. He was out cold.

Recalling her Pokémon, Agatha released her second Gengar. The Gengar was slightly smaller, but looked like fierce competition.

"Gengar, use Shadow Punch." the old woman commanded. Gengar swiftly flew to Sceptile and punched him with a fist of shadow. Sceptile was flung back.

"Scept..." he groaned, but climbed back up to his feet. Satoshi smirked. "Solarbeam, again!"

Sceptile released a much weaker beam of light, but still took Gengar out. Sceptile staggered back. "Sceptile..." he panted. Satoshi shook his head. "One more."

Agatha scowled._ His Pokémon is on the verge of collapse, and he's forcing him to continue! How cruel is that?_

Shaking her head, she released her faithful friend.

"Golbat!" the bat screeched. "Air Slash!" she shouted.

"Counter it with Slam!" Satoshi called. Sceptile's sturdy tail slammed through the Air Slash and right into Golbat. The bat was flung into the wall. He managed to get back out, and hissed at Sceptile.

_Time for the trump card,_ Satoshi thought.

"Synthesis!"

* * *

"Well well, look who we have here,"

The red-haired Executive was wearing a sleek white training suit meant for traveling, and her white boots were replaced by hiking boots. Still, she was just as Silver remembered her. Her face was steely and determined, her position in Team Rocket giving her a smugness he knew too well.

"Ariana." he growled, teeth clamped together.

"Silver, it's been too long. How have you been? I heard some interesting things along the grapevine; is it true you helped a young trainer infiltrate our base?" she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet. Silver said nothing.

"Well, of course you wouldn't," Ariana continued, pleased at his reaction, or lack of. "I mean, you of all people would never do such a thing. Especially with your first Pokémon on the line." The Executive watched as his fists tightened. She smirked. "I told this to Gio, and after a little persuading, he agreed that you should be given a second chance,"

She tossed him a Pokéball. He caught it reflexively. Studying it, a small gasp escaped his lips. "Feraligator?" he whispered. The sphere shook slightly.

"All he asked in return is that you tell no one about this conversation, and when the time comes, join our side." Ariana finished.

"When?" was all he said.

"You'll know." she said.

As Ariana walked away, she said one more thing.

"Don't mess this up; next time, family or not, I'm not sticking my neck out for you."

* * *

Sceptile glowed with health as he took out Golbat. The Grass type seemed to taunt Agatha, to send out her last Pokémon, if she dared.

"Gengar, come out!"

Her final Pokémon was huge; the dark purple Gengar radiated fear itself, and his sharp teeth gleamed. A true nightmare of a Pokémon.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball." Agatha said, watching Satoshi closely. Sceptile naturally moved to the side, avoiding the attack. Satoshi seemed like he was in another world; his eyes vacant and his mind on longer on battle.

Gengar sunk into the ground, and Sceptile activated Leaf Blade and attacked the ground, almost like he was digging to Gengar.

"Dark Pulse Gengar!" Agatha called out. She knew, deep down, that this would be her final move. As Gengar emerged from the battlefield, he looked at Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon was still clawing at the ground hastily. Gengar pushed a pulse of darkness at Sceptile, but the Grass type blocked it with Leaf Blade. As the attack stopped, Sceptile glowed green and created a storm of leaves that attacked Gengar, and knocking him out.

The ref was mesmerised by the battle until now, but said the final words.

"Gengar cannot continue, so Sceptile wins and Satoshi is the victor and will continue on to battle the Champion of Indigo Plateau, Lance!"

* * *

Lorelei's voice blasted into his ear.

_"LANCE HE WON! I TOLD YOU SO! WILL OWES ME $10!"_

"Lorelei, you're destroying my eardrums." Lance groaned. Gary glanced up from the intense battle between his Blastoise and Lance's Dragonite.

Recalling his Pokémon, Lance walked towards Gary. Misty and May ran to join them, and even Jessie, James and Meowth came a little closer.

After nodding his head a few times, Lance spoke.

"Satoshi won. I'm battling him tomorrow." he told them. They all looked impressed. Meowth was punching the air in celebration.

"Well, I gotta go. Wish me luck." he said, and the group all smiled and said words of encouragement.

As the small group walked into the campsite, Silver leaning against a tree, Gary looked at him, noticing something odd.

He had another Pokéball on his belt.

* * *

Agatha looked at the rugged field. She was upset when Satoshi said nothing to her even though she managed to take his Totodile out. The old woman glanced at the scratched floor. Sceptile had dug for Gengar, almost insanely, but not quite.

Agatha chuckled as she noticed how the lines crossed to make a 'T' on the ground. Then she looked closer, and let out a small gasp.

Sceptile had carved a word.

ROCKET

* * *

**Enjoy my cliffhanger, 'cause this is called revenge! Maybe this time, you'll miss me more when you want another chapter!**

**Wow, my longest chapter ever! Gimme' some high fives!**

**Evil as always,**

**Typhlosion8**


	13. The Final Stand

**Disclaimer:**** My God, if you don't know that I don't own Pokèmon by now, then you should not be reading fanfiction!**

* * *

"This is it."

"This is the one."

"The last battle."

The raven-haired boy looked at his team, his eye brimming with tears. They had gone through so much, taken on challenges most people never do, and gotten farther than most grown men. He, Ash Satoshi Ketchum, was ready. His eyes met Pikachu's coal black ones, the ones he knew so well, and for a moment, they seemed to tell him something, to whisper it in the wind, something only he could hear.

_I'm with you. _

_We're all with you._

Ash nodded, blinking away the fresh tears. He had an invincible team, and if that couldn't win, then he wouldn't care, because he and his team had given it all they had.

They were going to beat Lance, and nothing could stop them.

* * *

Agatha sat in the hall of Indigo Plateau, the cryptic message still swirling through her mind.

_"Agatha, you really want to know more about me?"_

He spoke so easily about such a complex sentence, the one that sent everything spinning out of control. _The way he spoke, it was like he knew me, and knew I would understand._

But the old woman was lost, lost in her own vast knowledge, and stuck between a simple sentence and a word.

ROCKET

It was still carved into the floor of her battlefield, a reminder that it was a key, the key to this complex and mystifying sentence her said to her.

She had awoken from her room in Indigo Plateau's Elite quarters, the events of yesterday's battle stuck permanently in her mind. She knew her only answer would be to see the Satoshi, the mysterious trainer of Viridian City.

And so she waited, hoping that he would come soon, and that he could give her the answers she so desperately craved.

* * *

Silver woke to an ear-shattering scream, like a murder was taking place. He reflexively grabbed the last Pokèball on his belt, the missing piece of his puzzle. The thing he cherished most. Enlarging it, he was about to call out his starter, until he noticed that only seven people were in the clearing with them. May was sleeping like a Snorlax, oblivious to the deafening screech, but Gary had jumped up and looked ready to battle as well.

Ex-Team Rocket, being the fierce, powerful Pikachu snatchers that they were, hid in a tree.

And Misty?

She was screaming bloody murder as a tiny Weedle curled up on top of her head. The Bug type was harmless, but Misty would not shut up until Silver clamped her jaw shut. Gary, having dropped his Pokèball, was rolling on the floor, laughing his head off.

Silver easily picked the Weedle of her head and gently placed him down on the grassy forest floor. Gary, still laughing, quickly stopped as he hastily rolled to the right and avoided the truly, universally feared, mallet of doom.

Silver looked at the hole where it had missed Gary's head by millimetres.

"Is that 3 inches?" he asked incredulously, looking at the red-head. She nodded proudly.

May awoke with a yawn as Ex-Team Rocket slowly descended the tree.

"Hey there early risers! What'd I miss?"

* * *

Satoshi walked through the doors of Indigo Plateau, Domino following closely behind. His black sweater was zipped up completely, and his hood covered his face. Six perfect Pokèballs gleamed in the light, the red and white classic colours shining. One shook furiously, and the teen touched it lightly, which seemed to ease the Pokèmon inside slightly.

He studied the hall, and his chocolate-brown eyes connected with Agatha's pitch-black ones. A tiny small smirk dashed across his face. He knew she'd be here. Satoshi silently thanked Sceptile for his impressive carving skills. _All that Leaf Blade training was worth the effort._

Domino scowled as he walked towards the old woman. Satoshi sat next to her on the bench, smiling.

"Good morning, Agatha. Going to give me some last minute advice?"

She chuckled. "Sorry, got none. You seem like you have all the bases covered." Agatha let silence cover them, quiet and peaceful. Then she turned to him.

"What does it mean?" she asked. He looked amused. "What does what mean?"

"Your words from yesterday. You sounded surprised, like you didn't think I would be curious about who you are."

Satoshi shrugged. "It seemed unnecessary; by the time I defeat Lance, the whole world will know who I am."

He started to walk away.

"Agatha?"

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"It would be wise to not dwell on those words, and instead, if you see two people with red and purple hair and a Meowth, mention the word 'trouble'. They'll understand, and you'll get your answer."

And with that, he walked towards Domino, her fingers texting furiously on her PokèGear.

* * *

"This battle between Champion Lance and Satoshi of Viridian City will now take place. Each side will use 6 Pokèmon each, and the battle will be over when one side has no Pokèmon still able to battle. Only the challenger can substitute Pokèmon."

Lance quickly released a ferocious looking Drangonite. Satoshi countered with a powerful Charizard. Both sides smiled slightly.

Of course, to Domino, this had no effect on her at all. As both sides attacked with all their might, Domino was communicating with the backup support. She knew where Satoshi's true loyalties lied, and she knew that he tipped Agatha off. So she prepared a backup team to help take Indigo over if Satoshi failed.

Plus, she really didn't like him, and she wanted to take out his friends, one by one.

Domino saw Dragonite crash to the ground, and saw Lance release an equally powerful Areodactyl.

She smiled. Once again, it was good to be her.

* * *

Charizard collapsed after Areodactyl, like dominos. _Domino._ Satoshi glanced at her. _Still texting on her precious PokèGear._

Satoshi recalled his close friend and released his Gabite. The Cave Pokèmon looked eager to fight. Lance let out another Dragonite, and the battle began.

"Blizzard!" Lance commanded, and without even waiting to hear a command from his trainer, Gabite dug underground to shelter from the icy cold.

Satoshi had some goosebumps, but Domino's teeth chattered together as she shivered, the Blizzard attack chilling her to the bone.

As the attack subsided, Satoshi saw the brilliance in Lance's plan. The battlefield was encased in a thick layer of ice.

_Gabite will be frozen underground! __I have to forfeit this match!_ Ash thought, but calmed down. He switched himself back into his battle mind.

"Gabite, Draco Meteor!" Satoshi yelled. Lance's eyes widened as the whole battlefield glowed orange.

"Dragonite, use Hyper Beam!" He said, a slight panic in his voice. But it was too late.

A huge orange ball of energy flew out of the ice; Gabite followed it swiftly as he ran back to Satoshi. The energy flew to the top of the room before exploding into tiny meteors that fell from the sky. The powerful attack was too much for Dragonite; he fainted in exhaustion.

"Dragonite is unable to battle; so Gabite is the victor." the referee said, his voice not fuelled by excitement, or fear. just a normal tone.

Satoshi pushed the thought out of his head; he had a battle to win.

"Return, Gabite." he said quietly. Reaching back, he pulled a Pokèball from his belt. A lightning bolt flashed on top.

"Pikachu, your turn!"

* * *

As Misty walked up the marble steps of Indigo Plateau, she read the names in her mind, each one completing their dream. It made her happy inside.

The rest of her friends following, she pushed the doors open and saw, for her second time, the beauty of the hall.

The floors were lined with a soft red carpeting, almost velvet, and the walls were painted gold. It was truly an amazing place, like a palace.

Everyone sat down on the comfy purple couches, waiting. Gary thought that by waiting in the lobby, they would be the first to know if "Satoshi" won.

An elderly woman sat next to James and Misty. She looked quite old, and she walked with a wooden cane.

"Young man, do the words 'trouble' mean anything to you? I was told to tell them to a person with purple hair and another with red hair. There should also be a Meowth."

Jessie and James jumped up out of their seats, and everyone seemed to face palm. Misty had tried to tell them that just because someone mentioned the word 'trouble', 'Team Rocket', or 'blast off', that didn't mean that they had to shout out their motto, but it was obviously a hard habit to break.

Jessie glanced at James. "New one or the old one?"

He shrugged. "Old one. I miss the old days. Remember that time we almost had Pikachu?"

Jessie smiled. "Of course I do!"

"Prepare for trouble!" she called out.

"And make it double," James added as he spun on the spot.

"To protect the world from devastation," Jessie sang.

To unite all peoples within our nation," James said as a rose appeared out of thin air and into his hands.

"To denounce the evils of through and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a fight!"

A tan brown feline flipped into view with a smirk. "Meowth, that's right!"

A burst of light, and then,

"WOBBUFFET!"

Misty sighed. "Every time..." she groaned. Gary just hung his head. May had stopped listening as soon as Jessie had said "Prepare for trouble!".

Nobody noticed the large group of Trainers who entered the hall except Silver. Each one wore black outfits, and exactly three Pokèmon on their belts

Jessie angrily recalled Wobbuffet. "Idiotic Pokèmon," she grumbled. James was pointing at the old woman, who had jumped to her feet at the end of their motto. "Hey, I recognize you from somewhere..."

She gave a quick smile. "Of course, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Agatha of the Elite Four."

May gasped. "Now I remember! We met while I was travelling with Ash, Brock and my annoying brother, Max."

Agatha turned to look at the Ex-Team Rocket trio, who looked a bit scared. "I owe you three my most sincere gratitude. Thanks to you, and a friend of mine, I understand the word carved into my battlefield."

"What word?" Silver asked.

Agatha's gaze hardened. "ROCKET. Satoshi's Sceptile carved it with a Leaf Blade, and it didn't make sense until now. I have to tell Lance that-"

"-Team Rocket wants to take over Indigo Plateau? Yeah, we know." Gary said suddenly.

Immediately, each of the uniformed Trainers released a Pokèmon. Most were Raticate, Rattata, Zubat, Golbat, Houndour and Ekans, but everyone noticed the enormous Arbok that appeared in front.

A red-haired woman stepped forward. "Well, we hoped for the element of surprise, but I guess taking you losers out will have to do."

"Ariana." Silver said, angry in his voice. "Why are you here?"

She smirked."Why do you think? To make sure we still win, even if our "little champ" fails. We're the backup squad."

Silver scowled. "That's all that matters to you? Your 'master plan'?"

"Of course. Now, if anyone would like to join us, now is the time."

James shook his head. "We quit. We will never come back to Giovanni."

Ariana laughed. "You really think Giovanni cares about you three? You idiots wasted more money than he does! No, Gio's happy you're gone. I'm talking about Silver."

Everyone looked at the quiet teen. His hands were tightly curled into fists. Then he spoke, the quiet amplifying his voice across the hall.

"You know, for a moment, I thought that I should join you, but then..." he said, and with a flash of light, his Feraligatr appeared before him. Ariana scowled as her Arbok prepared to strike. "..I realized that you gave me what I wanted already, so you had nothing to hold against me." he finished with a smile, and then yelled "Ice Fang!" and the battle began.

* * *

The tiny mouse darted across the field, his immense opponent unable to grab the swift Pokèmon. With a spark of his cheeks, he jumped onto Dragonite and released his mightiest attack. The Thunderbolt blazed with power as the exhausted dragon fell to the ground.

Pikachu leaped off before hitting the floor, and Dragonite pushed itself back to it's feet. With a roar, he was ready to battle.

"Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" Lance called out, but Satoshi was ready.

"Push it back with Iron Tail and then hit them with a Volt Tackle!" he said, and Pikachu's tail hardened to steel as he smashed it into the Dragon Pulse, and with a shove, pushed it back into a wall. The mouse dropped to the floor and ran at top speed as electricity boosted his power.

"Pikapikapikapikapika!"

"Dragon Rush!" Lance yelled, and Dragonite rammed into Pikachu as a purple energy enveloped him. The two Pokèmon collided, but Pikachu managed to knock Dragonite back, and with a thud, the victor was obvious.

Lance recalled the orange dragon. "Nice work." he said, then released the almighty Gyrados.

The Gyrados looked just like any other except for the fact that it was a shocking colour of red, and looked quite vicious. In battle, Pikachu looked like an appetizer.

"GYRAAA!" he roared, shaking the room itself. Satoshi made a motion and Pikachu came off the field. Smirking, he released his next Pokèmon.

"Totodile, I choose you!"

The blue-green alligator cheerfully jumped into battle. "Totototo!"

"Ice Beam and then Superpower!" he commanded, and the tiny Pokèmon released a beam of cold at Gyrados, freezing his tail to the ground. The red Gyrados thrashed at roar, but nothing could release the icy hold that anchored him the the ground.

Totodile dashed forward and began glowing, eyes bright, he smacked a tiny fist into Gyrados, and the Pokèmon cried out in pain. Grinning, Totodile did an adorable backflip back to his trainer before glowing even brighter,; the white light disappeared before revealing a large Croconaw.

"Croconaw!" he growled. Satoshi just watched in awe as Croconaw aimed a powerful Hydro Pump at Gyrados, knocking the rare Pokèmon out.

Croconaw smiled, then danced a little jig. "Croccroccroccroc!"he cheered.

Satoshi recalled the merry Pokèmon and released a Staraptor.

"Starrrrr!" the Sinnoh bird called out. Lance released his final Pokèmon, a simple Dragonair.

"Dragonnn!" she cried out dreamily. "Dragonair, use Wrap." Lance said.

"Staraptor, avoid it!" Satoshi said hastily, but Staraptor was caught in Dragonair's long, twisty body.

"Now, use Thunder!" Lance yelled, and Dragonair easily followed his order as a bright yellow flash illuminated the battlefield. Staraptor cried out in pain, and when the attack finally subsided, the Predador Pokèmon had fainted.

Satoshi recalled his Flying type. "Good try." he mumbled. "Pikachu?" the tiny rodent at his feet asked. Satoshi smiled. It seemed almost poetic. _My first Pokèmon will be the one to take out the last hurdle to achieving my dream._

Pikachu walked onto the field, his rosy red cheeks zapping threateningly. "Pika Pikachu." he said, and the battle seemed to slow down.

Ash saw Pikachu use Quick Attack and hit Dragonair, Dragonair aimed a Dragon Pulse at Pikachu, who easily dodged, and Pikachu jumping high into the air for his final attack.

"Thunderbolt!"

* * *

"Starmie, use Swift!" Misty called out, and stars seemed to fly from the Mysterious Pokèmon. It flashed it's gem happily as the Golbats fell to the ground.

"Now, Water Gun!" Misty said as the final attack took down a Houndour.

Gary was battling alongside his Umbreon. "Shadow Ball!" he yelled, and his Dark type flattened a Rattata. Umbreon spun around as an Ekans jumped at Gary, and with a quick Crunch attack, took the snake out.

May and Blaziken were taking out anyone in a arm's length from them, and Jessie and James were doing okay for people who don't train much. Seviper was knocking Raticates down easily with speedy Posion Tails, and Carnivine's Bullet Seed was no match for the many Zubat swarms.

Meowth was slashing at Rocket's faces, leaving an awful crisscrossing mark. Agatha was too powerful for any Grunts to dare risk crossing her, so she had slipped away secretly to get help. But the main battle was between Silver and Ariana.

"Arbok, Thunder Fang!"

"Feraligatr, use Thrash!"

Neither side was giving up, and the Pokèmon were relentless. Arbok sunk her fangs into Feraligatr's leg, and his response was to brutally attack Arbok without mercy, anger as powerful as his trainer's.

Silver's eyes were steely, matching Ariana's. His only focus was the battle.

"Ice Fang, Feraligatr!"

"Screech!"

As Feraligatr's ice cold fangs bit down on Arbok's hood, the cobra let out an ear-splitting screech. Every human and Pokèmon had stopped fighting and covered their ears. Silver used this to win.

"Hydro Cannon!"

An enormous sphere of water came out of Feraligatr and smacked into Arbok, knocking her out.

Ariana swore under her breath. "Time for Plan B." she muttered. The Executive released a large Vileplume. "Sleep Powder!" she yelled, and within seconds, the whole room was asleep except her. She quietly recalled her Pokémon. 

"Perfect."

* * *

Dragonair bowed its head in respect before collapsing to the ground.

"Dragonair is unable to battle, which means that Pikachu is the winner and the match goes to Satoshi of Viridian City, our new Champion!" the ref called out, and the whole room went silent. The only noise was Pikachu's panting. Satoshi walked onto the field and picked the mouse up. "Good job." he said.

Nobody noticed him expand a Pokèball. With lightning-fast reflexes, he threw it, releasing his Sceptile. Domino was prepared. Her Houndoom was out in seconds to block the Leaf Blade aimed at her.

"Flamethrower!"

"Solarbeam!"

All Lance could do was watch as the two people battled. _I thought they were friends, but maybe I was mistaken?_

"Crunch!"

"Leaf Storm!"

The Forest Pokèmon released a blizzard of leaves at the Dark Pokèmon. He endured the attack, but did not notice the Leaf Blade that slammed into him, and with a yelp, the dog was out. Scowling, Domino recalled him. "You really want to risk attacking me? With your friends on the line? I wouldn't do that," she warned, as Sceptile came closer, his blades still glowing. With a swift movement, Domino released a Crobat.

"Poison Fang!"

The Bat Pokèmon screeched as he swooped down and tried to bite Sceptile. He barely dodged the Leaf Blade aimed at him as he flew back up into the air.

"Cross Poison!"

"Bullet Seed!"

Lance's head spun as the two fought. _Friends on the line? Was this some sort__ of blackmail?_

The purple X missed Sceptile by inches as he gracefully avoided the attack, and sent a barrage of sharp seeds at Crobat, who avoided as well with his speed giving him an advantage.

"Air Cutter!" Domino yelled, and a powerful wind sliced at Sceptile and Satoshi, and the two crashed to the ground. His black hood fell down as he got back up and Lance felt a jolt of horror.

Satoshi was Ash Ketchum.

* * *

Ash got back up to his feet, not even thinking about his hood. Sceptile looked ready to faint, but his other Pokèmon were in no condition to battle Domino.

Suddenly, the shiny doors at the front burst open and a red haired woman came in.

"So you're the kid Gio sent to win the League? Sort of scrawny for a Champion." she said rudely, and Ash looked sat her straight in the eyes. "Who are you?"

" My name doesn't really matter, I'm just here to inform you that your duties as Champion are no longer needed; we'll take over from here."

Pikachu growled. Ash shook his head. "Not gonna happen. You really thought I would just hand the job to you criminals?"

The woman laughed. "Well, since you have what, maybe three Pokèmon at half their health and we have a combined number of five, the odds aren't in your favour. Plus, Ex-Champ over there has no Pokèmon left to battle, and the ref may have one, but not high enough levelled. Your friends are all knocked out, and Team Rocket Grunts are coming closer to Indigo Plateau as I speak. Give it up."

Ash closed his eyes, deep in thought. _Croconaw and Gabite are weakened from battle, Sceptile is about to faint, Pikachu used most of his power up, and Eve is too young to win. I've got no choice but to surrender or send my team on a suicide mission._

"Of course you have another choice," said a voice. Ash and Lance turned around to see Will of the Elite Four. He seemed to have teleported with his Xatu.

Domino did not seem worried by the Elite's presence. "Crobat, use Cross Poison!" she called out.

"Me First." Will smirked, and Xatu's eyes glowed and he slashed his wings at Crobat, knocking him out with his own Cross Poison.

Domino scowled as she recalled Crobat. "I hate Elites." she said, her words full of deepest loathing.

"And I hate Rockets, but yet, you still stand here." Will said, his voice as angered as hers, if not more. He turned to Lance. "I was able to come first; Agatha tipped us off about the situation."

Lance looked at the women. "Team Rocket will never take over Indigo Plateau as long as we are here to guard it."

The red haired Rocket chuckled. "Good luck with that. We will be back."

She looked at Ash. He was glaring at Team Rocket with eyes of hate; Pikachu was ready to attack.

"I think he comes with us; Team Rocket needs powerful people."

"Yeah right, like I'm going anywhere with you." Ash spat.

The woman looked at him thoughtfully. "Point well made. Vileplume, come out here and use Vine Wipe to grab him!" she yelled as she released her Pokèmon , the Flower Pokèmon

wrapped her large vines around the teen and lifted him up.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash commanded, and the rodent wasted no time to swing his sturdy tail at the vines, but Vileplume held on.

_Gabite, if you could come out on your own at anytime, now would be it _Ash thought, and the Cave Pokèmon seemed to read his mind as he popped out.

Not even needing an order, the dragon's claws glowed as he slashed at the vines and Vileplume immediately dropped Ash, who landed roughly on the floor with a painful thud.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out as he ran to his trainer; Gabite was battling the strong Rocket and her Vileplume. Dodging and slashing, and endless flow of energy seemed to emerge from the dragon as he fought the powerful Pokèmon.

From the opposite side of the room, another set of golden doors were pushed open, and Lorelei, Bruno and Agatha rushed out, entranced by the fierceness of Gabite. Agatha looked at her once fierce opponent, who now looked exhausted and ready to give up, Pikachu at his side.

"Lance!" she barked, and the Ex-Champion looked suddenly alert. "Yes?"

"What happened?"

"Satoshi was working for Team Rocket but changed sides, Team Rocket want Indigo Plateau, and Satoshi is really the missing trainer, Ash Ketchum!" Lance yelled over the noise of the battle. Agatha absorbed the information and worked it into her puzzle; it all made sense: the feeling that they had met, the word carved into her battlefield, the reason he had to win the league. He was being threatened by Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket.

* * *

May Maple woke up to see a sharp pair of fangs in her face. The Rattacate snarled.

"You are now the prisoner of Team Rocket; any resistance and we will be forced to attack." a Grunt told her, and within minutes, she was tied up and sitting next to an outraged Misty and a solemn looking Meowth. Gary was next to Meowth, and he looked quite calm. Silver was separate from the rest of them, across the room, bound and gagged. His anger radiated across the room. Jessie and James were next to Misty, and they was worry all over their faces.

Their Pokèballs were in a small pile surrounded by guards, and the room looked a mess. May felt a shiver go up her spine; was it her imagination, or had the room temperature dropped by a few degrees?

It definitely was real; a Grunt froze solid near her, and a few seconds later, a Dewgong had froze half the room.

Lorelei stood at the top of the damaged staircase, her Dewgong nearby.

"The only thing I hate more than Fire Types and out of season clothing is Rockets, and those uniforms are _so _not in!"

Dewgong fired an Aurora Beam at the nearest Grunts, and they were 'Rocket-sickles'. Fighting back was futile; any Pokèmon was fainted within seconds.

A few minutes later, Team Rocket was frozen, and May and the others were free of being prisoners.

Silver immediately ran up the stairs to the Champion battlefield, Lorelei and the group at his heels.

* * *

Ash was lying on the floor, clutching his head. Pikachu was petting it comfortingly, but that couldn't get rid of the ache in his soul. _He_ was why Team Rocket was here. It was all his fault.

And then voices seemed to reach him.

"ASH!"

"Ash!"

"Ash!"

"The Twerp!"

He lifted his head slightly to see Misty, Gary, May and Team Rocket next to him.

"Ash, what happened?"

"What did you do?"

"Are you okay?"

"Are you da' Champ?"

His voice was gone. He couldn't tell them his essential role in Giovanni's plan, not now. His head was pounding.

"Come on Ashy-boy, focus!" Gary shouted, but Ash was gone, lost in his guilty conscience.

A loud explosion shook the world, and Ash quietly slipped into uncounciousness.

* * *

Domino was steps away from grabbing the Ketchum kid, and the only person in her was was a red haired boy.

"Silver. We meet again. I had hoped for better circumstances, but..." Domino trailed off, and Silver didn't answer. No reaction at all.

"Move."

"No."

"Move now and let me take the kid, or the Boss will never welcome you back." she threatened, but Silver made no movements.

"I hate Dad anyway, I'm better off without him." he replied.

"Move!" Domino yelled.

Silver instead released a Sneasel; it's sharp claws glinted in the light.

"Back off." he said.

Domino shrugged. "Be that way." she dashed around the Sharp Claw Pokèmon, narrowly avoiding a gash to her arm. She was almost at the teen, but was stopped suddenly by an electric current paralyzing her as she fell to the ground.

"Pika Pikachu!" the mouse cried. His trainer was safe. For now.

* * *

Almost 100 Grunts barged into Indigo Plateau; each one armed and ready to fight. They shoved their way into the Champion battlefield and quickly surrounded everyone. Gary grabbed May and the Ex-Team Rocket managed to pull themselves to safety near the Elite 4. Misty was trying to grab Ash, but was roughly shoved by a green haired man.

Obviously another Executive, Misty got back up, ready to battle, only to be knocked back down. "Back off girl, and you might be spared." he said sharply. Misty rolled to the side and carefully went to the Elites, who were being fueled by rage.

A few grunts went down pretty fast by some choice Thunderbolts, but Pikachu was eventually caged in an electricity-proof container.

The commotion calmed down, and a man walked to the front. He looked Italian, and his shiny black hair was smoothed down. He wore a black pinstripe suit, and a Persian walked at his heels.

"Hello Lance, it's been a long time."

* * *

Ash opened his eyes. Siting up, he saw a man in a suit near him. A Persian hissed at him warningly. _Giovanni._

Four people stood near Giovanni. Purple, blue, red and green hair._ What's with Team Rocket and weird hair?_

Blue hair looked at him disapprovingly. _What's his problem?_

Lance spoke stiffly. "Doing well?"

"Obviously." Giovanni said. "I hear you are no longer Champion."

He hit a nerve.

Lance lost his cool demeanour; he was seething. "Yes." he said, using all of his power not to yell.

"And to a mere trainer no older than 15. Shocking, really." Giovanni continued, enjoying every second of their conversation.

Misty spoke up. "Leave Ash alone." she demanded. Giovanni gave her a questioning look. "Why? He has so much talent for battling, and having the Champion under my control would be quite handy. He's a perfect member of the Team Rocket organization, unlike other people I know."

Giovanni looked at Silver, who glared back at him.

The Tea Rocket leader sighed. "It's funny; this all started with three buffoons bringing me a useless Pikachu. That Pikachu became a bargaining chip along with your little group of friends. I used them to get what I wanted from a young, kind, friendly person and turned him into a powerful destructive force against the Indigo League. And here we are, standing with the remains of the former Champion, a once heroic child and a random group of people with no chance against me and my organization."

"So, Lance, if you peacefully hand Indigo over to us, I will allow you and anyone standing behind you to walk freely out of the building. If not, then we have a problem."

"What about the Twerp?" Jessie asked. Misty and Gary looked at her, shocked. Giovanni shook his head. "Sorry, but he's over here, not behind your 'invincible Champion' "

"Do I get a say in this?"

All heads turned to Ash. He was on his feet, and looking upset.

"Why not," Giovanni chuckled.

"I'm not going to just sit around here while everyone argues like children, and I'm not some prize to be won." Ash said. "I'm leaving."

He walked over and picked up Pikachu's container from the the floor. He then began to walk out the door.

Giovanni was really laughing now.

"Good luck with that." he said, a grin on his face.

Ash was about to walk through the doors when he froze, and crumpled to the floor.

"Pyschic barrier. I'm not stupid. No one leaves until I get what I want." Giovanni said seriously.

Lance looked at the Team Rocket leader.

"We will leave Indigo Plateau."

Giovanni nodded.

Will's Xatu glowed, and everything slowed down as Misty tried to run to Ash, and then they were all gone.

* * *

**Longest.**

**Chapter.**

**Ever.**

**It just kept coming!**

**Reviews would be appreciated.**

**Ty8, signing out!**


	14. Just Hoping For A Rescuer To Come

**Hello! Hope you like my new chapter!**

**Disclaimer****:**** ねえ、私は本当にので、ここで、私の免責のための日本語で何かを書きたかった私は、人々が英語に翻訳する手間に行く場合は、単に確認するには、この本当に長い文章を入力し、午前。あなたがした、とした場合、あなたはまだあなたのために、次に良い私のこと怒ってませんでした！あなたは私と同じ奇妙だ。あなたが英語/日本語の辞書を使用した場合と、よく、あなたはするべき仕事を一生懸命に目を向ける。ただ、すでに私の新しい章を読んで行くと心配を停止！また、私はポケモンを所有していない。**

**Good luck translating!**

* * *

Three years had passed, and all he could do was eat, sleep, and hope for someone to find him.

Ash was in the prison of what was once a very busy place. Deep, deep underground in the mountains near Indigo Plateau. You think someone would find him, an Elite Four member, a traveling trainer, a Hiker wandering off the path, but most people stayed away from a place as dangerous as the former Team Rocket headquarters.

Even though only a small handful of Rockets stayed at the hideout, the power they held was immense. Giovanni had slowly extended his iron grip throughout Kanto. There were even rumours that he had taken over the Goldenrod Radio Tower in Johto. But the first thing he had done was power up his employees.

If you met a Rocket, you were guaranteed a powerhouse of Pokèmon. Dark, Poison, Normal, Flying, the occasional Fire; the Rocket specialties. Then, destroyer Pokèmon. Raticate, Weezing, Arbok, Crobat, Magmar, almost always at Lv. 65 or higher. Always fully evolved.

Ash had given up on escaping exactly 2 years, 6 months, 21 days ago. Part of him kept track, even though he had more important things to worry about.

His first thought was always Pikachu. He had no idea where his best friend was. Of course, second on the list was his other Pokèmon. His belt was gone, and his Pokèballs were nowhere to be seen. And finally, his third question was the outside world. Somewhere, out there, his friends were out there, leading the attack against Team Rocket.

And that started his anger cycle all over again, because his friends were out there, fighting Team Rocket, and did they even think to look for him?

_No, _he thought. _They didn't even remember one of their best friends._

* * *

Actually, the plan was quite easy.

Rhyperiorwould be the one to dig into Team Rocket's HQ.

Honchkrow would do surveillance of the surrounding area incase Giovanni happened to show up.

Feraligatr would be in his Pokèball, in Rhyperior's mouth, ready for battle once Rhyperior got into the building.

Weaville would be sneaking into the building and searching for any Pokèmon not owned by the Team Rocket grunts.

Really, things should have gone smoothly. But of course, these things don't.

* * *

Weaville snuck through an unlocked door. Technically, it wasn't unlocked, but Weaville's claws were easily able to slide into the lock and open the door.

He cautiously moved through the empty halls, his feet quick and quiet. Being in the building reminded him of things. But he pushed them away. His trainer was counting on him.

He pressed an ear to every door, listening for the sounds of Pokèmon. He couldn't hear as well as some Pokèmon like Noctowl or Pikachu, but his hearing was quite good. He could single out sounds to find the ones he wanted.

_No, No, No, No, No- Wait!_

Weaville closed his eyes. _Yes! _He heard the sound again. It was soft, like a whisper, but not impossible to hear.

"Pika..."

Sliding his claw into the lock, it opened with ease, and Weaville went in.

* * *

Rhyperior was digging, as quick as he could. He met a slight problem when he hit the thick layer of cement, but nothing could stop his drill from finding it's target.

He went through the ground like it was a piece of paper; the Drill Pokèmon finally poked his sharp horn through the ground and into open air. It spun for a few extra seconds before going back under. Rhyperior repeated this a few times, finally creating a big enough hole.

He dropped the Pokèball in his mouth into his palm, and like a missile, it launched out of Rhyperior's hole and clattered onto the hard cement floor of the cell.

* * *

Ash jumped in alarm as the horn popped out of the ground. All those days he had counted seemed to disappear as the Rhyperior's face appeared briefly before disappearing. Seconds later, a new hole appeared in his small jail cell. Soon, a hole about the size of a Graveler had been created in the ground.

Ash saw this as his escape, and was about to jump in when something rocketed past him and nearly took his eye out. It landed, and Ash recognized the design he saw so often in his childhood.

_A Pokèball._

He grabbed it at hastily and released a large, light blue crocodile-like Pokèmon. His sharp jaws looked ready to take down anything.

Growling, the Feraligatr attacked with an Aqua Tail. Ash quickly ducked, hoping to avoid the attack, but it never came. Instead, the Feraligatr slammed his tail into the bars of his cell, taking them down without a problem. The metal clattered to the floor nosily.

Almost like it was planned, a Weaville scurried into the cell. Ash was starting to feel cramped. Then he saw the object in Weaville's hand.

_His Pokèbelt._

All six Pokèballs were attached, shiny and clean. Weaville threw it at him, and he caught it with ease.

"Um, not that I'm complaining, but what's happening?"

"Ville Weav Weav Weavillle! Weaville Weav!" the Pokèmon said to him, and he just stared.

"What?"

"Weaville..." the Sharp Claw Pokèmon groaned.

Suddenly, a face he knew all too well appeared. The mouse came into the cell and into Ash's arms.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu yelled as he hugged his best friend. The two didn't say anything else; this was all that was needed.

"Feraligatr!" The croc said impatiently, and Ash looked at him.

"Right, we gotta go."

They jumped into the hole, Weaville and Feraligatr on their tail, and slid into darkness.

* * *

Rhyperior pooped out of the hole, and a certain raven haired trainer followed him. Pikachu jumped out, and Weaville and Feraligatr were next.

"Huh? Silver?" Ash asked, puzzled. Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder eagerly.

Silver smiled, one of his first real ones in a while. Recalling his Pokèmon, he looked at Ash.

"Yeah. It's me."

"But... I thought-"

Silver cut him off. "You thought they would come get you?"

Ash nodded. Silver gave a harsh chuckle, anger in his voice.

"Ash, they would have, but we all teleported to fast to grab you. Plus, there was another factor..."

_Flashback_

_Silver felt ground under his feet, and looked at his surroundings._

_"Ilex Forest." he said. Last time he was here, he ended up time-traveling._

_ May looked around. "I came through here to get to Goldenrod for a Contest they were hosting. It was my third Ribbon."_

_Misty looked shaken. "Brock, Ash and I walked through this forest. He caught his Shiny Noctowl here."_

_"Ash. What do we do? How do we find him now?" she whispered, her words causing all of them to remember the event that occurred only seconds ago._

_Jessie, James and Meowth looked like they were going to cry._

_"H-How are we good guys now if we c-can't protect people?" Jessie cried out._

_"At least with Team Rocket, we felt like we were helping someone," James said miserably._

_"Too late to turn back now." Lance said darkly, and they all remembered that the former Champion and the Elite Four were with them as well._

_"So what's the plan now?" Gary asked._

_"We go back to Kanto and start up the Alliance again." Lance replied, and the Elites shuddered._

_"The Alliance?" Misty asked. Agatha looked at her sharply._

_"Yes, child. The Alliance. It was a group of people who fought a rising power. Back then, Team Jet had tried to take over Kanto, but slowly, the Alliance took them down. I remember that final battle clearly. It was the leader of Team Jet's Houndoom versus a mear Goldeen. That beautiful fish used all of her energy to take that Houndoom out, but sadly, she died in the process. The Alliance won, and Kanto was free."_

_Agatha sighed. "And now we must bring the Alliance back and fight, or Giovanni will repeat history."_

_"What about Ash?" May asked angrily. She felt like they were forgetting how he was captured by the enemy._

_Lance shook his head. "We must take out Giovanni, and the faster we start up a defence, the quicker we can take him out."_

_Lorelei looked conflicted. "Lance, technically, he defeated you, and although it wasn't made official, he is the Kanto Champion now. Shouldn't we get him back? I mean, more power is not what we want Giovanni to have, correct?"_

_Lance seemed firm on his decision. "We will find Ash. But civilians are our top priority, and we have a duty to protect them."_

_The other Elite nodded. "Fair enough," Bruno grumbled._

_"Let's go then." Misty said, but she was obviously against the __decision._

_End Flashback_

"Okay, so they were a little busy. But it's been 3 years!" Ash shouted as he walked down the mountain path Silver led him to.

"That's not all." Silver said. He was telling Ash the story, piece by piece, to catch him up to everything that was going on. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder, his mood turning sour as the story continued.

"What else could be worse?" Ash mumbled as he kicked a nearby rock.

"Ash, you are, in the eyes of the Alliance, a member of Team Rocket. Since you were taken by Giovanni, most people believe their Champion is a Rocket. You're not the most popular Champion, not to mention the fact that you seemed to go along with them and win the Pokèmon League." Silver said bitterly.

"But they must know I was being threatened! My family and friends were in danger!" Ash said, but Silver shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. There is a reward for your capture, which is ironic, and you are wanted for questioning about Giovanni's whereabouts."

"That's insane! I've been locked up in Team Rocket's former HQ for years!" Ash yelled, and kicked at another rock.

"Geodude!" the Pokèmon complained.

"Sorry, sorry." Ash muttered. He turned to Silver.

"So, why did you free me then?"

"Because I know you're innocent, and I knew where you were. My Pokèmon were up to the task, so I came and got you."

_If only he knew the real reason..._

"So, what's our plan? Do you know where Giovanni is? 'Cause right about now, I'd love to take him out."

"Ash, my plan is to wait this all out. I felt your imprisonment was unfair, so I helped you out, but I've been living in Mt. Silver, waiting out this war. It doesn't matter to me." Silver replied cooly.

Ash looked furious. "But why wait when there's a group fighting him? You told me yourself that the Alliance was fighting Giovanni!"

"_Because you're wanted by the Alliance!" _Silver yelled.

"That doesn't matter to me! I want to help take him out, not hiding in some cave like a coward!" Ash said, and Silver stood, frozen in a rage.

"Do you want to know why I'm 'hiding in a cave like a coward?'" Silver asked, his voice dangerously calm. "Because to fight Giovanni would mean to fight my father, because guess what? WE'RE RELATED!" he shouted, his voice magnified by the echoing walls of the mountain.

"What?" Ash said, eyes wide. Silver chuckled.

"Yeah, my wonderful father is trying to take over the world. I'm as wanted as you."

"That's my game plan." Silver finished, and continued walking down the steep rocky ledge to the grassy plain far below.

* * *

**Finished!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Bye-bye,**

**Typhlosion8**


	15. In Giovanni's Clutches

**Sorry to those who waited! I have lost track with my older stories and have so many more ideas that I want to try but keep forgetting to finish the old ones! But I've returned with a new chapter! Also, I'm sharing my s'more that I made with Kit's update flame with Kit! Enjoy, and read the new chapter! Also, I have extra s'mores for anyone else who wants one. No seconds!**

**Disclaimer:****I do not own Pokèmon. Quick question though: does having people follow your fanfic make you feel like a cult leader? Does to me. ':-/**

* * *

Ash stumbled on the rocky ledge. The bottom of the tall mountain was littered with stones, big and small, and to make everything worse, he had pebbles in his shoes.

After parting ways with Silver, he had continued to make his way towards the bottom. Silver had given him a jacket to wear, considering that it was the end of November and the air was frigid.

Pikachu was holding tightly to his hat; the rocks were sharp and hurt his toes. His Pokèballs were all attached magnetically to his Pokèbelt, eight spheres bouncing on his hip. He had never felt so alone in all his life. The wind stung his cheeks as he dropped into a small valley. His shoes sank into snow up to his ankles.

"Chu." Pikachu said sadly. He was shivering in the frosty air. Ash picked him off of his shoulder and placed him into the backpack he was carrying. Pikachu curled up among some food and other supplies. Silver had really thought of everything, like he expected them to separate.

Ash found an enormous tree sitting in the valley. The raven haired ten decided to sleep under it for the night. Leaning against the trunk, he quickly dozed off into a blissful sleep.

* * *

A puff of hot air stirred Ash from his deep sleep.

"Please Pikachu; I'm trying to sleep. Let me sleep..." he mumbled drowsily. Another puff of hot air was his reply, followed by a very canine-like growl.

_Pikachu doesn't growl, does he? He does a lot of weird things, like impersonating other Pokèmon, I suppose he could growl if he wanted to, right?_

Ash let his mind drift, finally opening his eye a millimetre to make sure it was his yellow friend.

It wasn't; the orange dog was glaring at his face, fangs glistening. Ash's eyes widened as he realized what it was.

The Arcanine bark loudly, and Ash felt Pikachu shifting behind him, trying to escape the backpack. Ash reached for a Pokèball, hoping it was the one he wanted, and released. In a flash of white light, Croconaw appeared. Without even needing a command, the alligator shot a Hydro Pump at the dog, knocking him back.

"Nine!" The Pokèmon yelped. Ash grinned; the battle was on.

"Croconaw, use Superpower!" he commanded, and Croconaw glowed as he ran towards Arcanine and punched him in the skull. It didn't even leave a scratch.

"What the-" Ash said, but was interrupted.

"Arcanine, use Fire Blast and destroy that Rocket!"

_Wait a minute, he knew that voice. That annoying, arrogant, friendly voice._

"Gary?"

The Arcanine stopped his attack at a silent signal.

"Ash?"

* * *

Turns out, Gary was searching for him as well, but not to rescue him. He was sent on a mission to find the old Team Rocket HQ and see if it had anything of use. He had followed the trail to here, but this was where it stopped cold.

"It's great to see you alive and well Ashy-boy, but you're in danger. Two powerful organizations are fighting a war all over Kanto and it's spreading to Johto. Both side want you, you're the one that can change the tides. Giovanni couldn't use you because you hated Team Rocket, so he hid you from us. The problem is, we do and don't want you. You did a lot of damage by siding with the Rockets."

"Wait a minute, us?"

"The Alliance. We're the only thing fighting Giovanni."

"How bad is it out there?"

"Awful. People are fleeing from their homes and hiding in safe zones, but even those don't last. Kanto is not the same as it was."

"Gary?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go to the Alliance HQ. From there, I can at least plan my attack on Gio."

"They want to question you about Team Rocket's plans. I know you don't know anything, but that won't stop them."

"Let 'em. I've been through worse."

* * *

The two childhood friends rode on Arcanine, and Gary was right about the damage Giovanni had done to Kanto. He would never had known where they were if Gary hadn't told him.

They had to be quiet, because of their proximity to the new Team Rocket base in Indigo Plateau. Luckily, Gary had trained Arcanine in stealth, because they didn't make a sound.

They passed the Viridian Forest; the once beautiful forest had become a jungle, Gary said. Most people avoided going in because of it's darkness and wild Pokèmon, not to mention the chance of getting attacked by Rockets. According to Gary, Rockets had surrounded all entrances to Viridian City because of supposed secret lab under the Viridian Gym. Giovanni used to be a Gym Leader, but he was also probably doing things in his Gym, secret things.

They slowed down when they got to a high coil fence topped with barbed wire. A gate was in the middle of the road, guarded with an older man. He was in his late twenties, but seemed more powerful than he looked. Gary stopped his Arcanine a few metres from the gate, and recalled the fire dog. Ash tried not to draw attention to himself; if there was one good thing he learned, it was to be silent and let your partner talk to avoid talking. Domino said the more you talked, the closer you got to spilling you secrets. Only an exceptional trainer could mask their emotions.

* * *

Gary's POV

"Name?" the guard asked. His eyes were staring at Ash. I had to cover for him.

"Agent Blue and new recruit Agent Yellow." I said quickly. Hopefully, my voice was strong.

"Lance didn't mention any new recruits." the guard said stubbornly. How I wished I could shove him to the ground and barge my way through Pewter City, but that would definitely get me in trouble. So I suggested something risky.

"Captain Harrison could help settle this." I said. The guard considered the pros and cons, before finally letting us into the city towards the Gym.

The Gym, like most of the Gyms in Kanto, was also where the Gym Leader lived. Once the Alliance came out, Gym Leaders began siding with who they preferred.

We had the Pewter, Cerulean, Celdon, Cinnabar, and Fuchsia Gyms on the Alliance's side. They were safe cities to live in, until the Gym Leader who was protecting the town was taken out.

The Viridian and Vermillion Gyms were with Team Rocket, and Saffron was neutral. Vermillion wasn't guarded as well as Viridian, but everyone knew it was Rocket territory.

When we finally got to the door, I knocked on the hard steel. A voice came from the other side.

"Name?" he asked.

"Agent Blue, bringing new recruit Agent Yellow. Asking for permission to pass through."

A few minutes later, the Pewter City Gym Leader stepped out of the Gym. A Pokèball was clutched tightly in his hand, but he relaxed his grip once he recognized me.

"Hello Gary. Who's Agent Yellow? I haven't heard of him."

I grabbed Brock's arm and whispered "Private space. Now."

So Brock led us to the storage room deep inside the Gym. It was quite big, and there was plenty of space.

As soon as the door shut, Brock picked up Ash by the collar.

"Who are you really?" he asked quietly. He may have been the Rock-type Gym Leader, but there was fire in his eyes.

"Brock! Put him down." I said quickly, and Brock slowly placed the raven haired teen back on the floor.

"Who is he Gary?" Brock asked. I took a deep breath. This would be hard.

"I found Ash."

* * *

Ash watched as the words didn't seem to have an effect on Brock.

Then he was slammed against the wall again, Brock's grip on my collar tight again. He was staring at Gary.

"Brilliant, Gary. Real smart. Bring the Rocket through Pewter City, one of the main information routes in the Alliance." he said bitterly.

Ash's face looked a little red. Brock was staring at him now.

"What happened to you? You came home and decided to join the enemy because you lost the Lily of the Valley conference?"

Ash was struggling for air now, his face crimson. "N-n-no. I h-had to go af-t-ter T-Team Roc-"

"I saw you training at the Pokèmon Centre with that red haired boy. You were planning it from the start. I wasn't an idiot. I knew you were doing something dangerous. I never expected my best friend to become a Rocket. That never occurred to me."

A deep purple colour, he could only say one more word. "Forced."

Brock released his death grip on him, shocked. "What did you say?"

Ash coughed, trying to breathe. "I was forced. Had, had to do it. Protect everyone. They had spies everywhere. Saw everything. Wouldn't," he shook his head, rephrasing his one chance. "Couldn't, couldn't let my friends be in danger."

"Danger?" Brock asked, perplexed.

"If, if I said no, you probably wouldn't be here right now." he finished. Brock's gaze softened. His friend would do that to protect everyone?

The next thing Ash knew, Brock was squeezing the life out of him in a rib-cracking hug. Even his eyes looked teary.

"It's good to have you back in the game." Brock said.

"Good to be back in the game." Ash replied.

"Come on, you've gotta get moving. Mt. Moon is hard to get through."

* * *

Gary and Ash mounted Onix behind Brock. The Gym Leader was leaving the Gym in Forrest's hands. He was going to go through the mountain with them and help them find their way. As Brock put it, "Gary's stubbornness mixed with Ash's sense of direction and they'd both be lost in seconds."

So as they rode, Ash told his story from his point of view. Gary was surprised by his Pokèmon's evolutions, and Brock was dying to meet his Eevee. To their everlasting kindness, they didn't dwell on his time with Team Rocket.

It only took about an hour and a half before they were riding down the side of Mt. Moon towards Cerulean City and the main Alliance base.

* * *

**That felt like a filler, but I really wanted Gary to explain everything Silver missed. I don't know why. Also, I missed Brock! Plus, he was right, Gary;s too stubborn; he'd never go a different way, and Ash would look at the map ****upside-down. **

**Goodbye for now, and enjoy those s'mores!**

**Typhlosion8**


	16. The Worst Thing That You Can Think Of

**Alright people, I'll admit it.**

**I feel guilty for not updating for a long time. So I typed out another chapter. My eyes hurt, and it's 1:00 AM, but please, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I finally own Pokè- Sorry, false alarm. Better luck next time.**

* * *

Three people sat inside the Gym.

One was a brown haired teen about the age of 17. He was best known for his powerhouse Pokèmon team and special skills.

Next to him was a dark haired man. He was 23, the Gym Leader of the Pewter City Gym and was best known for his squinty eyes and romantic nature.

Finally, there was a 17-year-old raven haired teen. He was well known around Kanto as Champion and Rocket member.

The trio were waiting for Captain Waterflower to arrive. Brock had flashed his Badge at the gates, and the three of them were allowed into Cerulean City. All of them were putting a lot on the line. If Ash was considered the enemy, they could be walking on thin ice.

A red haired woman finally stepped into the room. Her hair was short, but she had enough to pull it into a ponytail on the side of her head. Many said that she was beautiful and elegant, but Brock knew better. Underneath that soft exterior was a hot tempered teen with a tomboyish side that was rarely seen when it wasn't needed. He would know after traveling with her for two years.

Misty looked at them with a fierce gaze. "You know that I'm busy these days, Brock. What was so important that you and Oak needed to make a house call?"

Brock didn't say anything. Neither did Gary. Misty looked a little angrier.

"Say something!" she urged. Brock gave her a nod towards the guards in the room, and Misty signalled them to leave. After they left, she growled under her breath. Over the years, she had become easier to provoke, and usually yelled about simple things that didn't even require anger.

She took a deep breath and used her calm voice.

"Brock, Gary, why did you need the guards to leave?" she asked sweetly. Gary gave a subtle eye roll.

"Watch it, Oak." she warned. It was then when Ash stood up.

"I am a new recruit." he said.

Misty sighed. "And you're telling me why?" she muttered loudly. "What's your name?" she inquired.

"Satoshi. I was given the code name Agent Yellow." he said hastily, and Captain Waterflower just stared at him.

"Satoshi..." she whispered. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Quick as the speed of light, Ash was on the floor, unconscious.

In the redhead's hands was a wooden hammer, also know as a mallet. It was made of oak and finished, giving it a beautiful shine more dazzling then the holder herself.

"Misty!" Brock cried out. Gary ran to Ash, checking for a concussion.

"Don't start that with me, Brock. He deserved that." she said lightly.

"But you said you'd stopped doing that!" Brock countered, but the girl only shrugged.

"He's okay!" Gary confirmed. Misty looked smugly at Brock. "See? He's fine. His skull's too thick to be affected. I didn't even make a dent."

* * *

Ash woke up with a throbbing headache.

"Arceus, Misty. Could you have hit me any harder with that thing?"

"Hey, you deserved that hit. You disappeared for 3 years!" she shouted.

"Yeah, in a holding cell below the old Team Rocket HQ!" he yelled.

"Well then maybe you should have gotten out sooner!"

"Maybe I had no choice in the matter!"

"You should have tried!" Misty cried out, and tears pooled in her eyes. "You should have done everything you could have to get out, because we all needed you! I needed you!"

Before anyone could say anything, she was sobbing in Ash's arms. He was surprised fro a moment, but held her comfortingly once he realized what was happening.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping the remaining tears off her face.

"Come on. I'll lead the way." she said softly, and the four of them walked down a hallway towards a large door. It led to an empty room, but Misty easily pulled a trapdoor up out of the floor.

One by one, they jumped down into an underground hall.

"How did you guys build this?" Ash asked, and Misty smirked.

"We didn't build it; it was already built underneath Cerulean and spread out through other places in Kanto. We just stumbled upon the entrance."

* * *

Misty knocked on the door in a pattern of taps. When she finished, the door opened to Will. He looked over them all, and a flash of recognition went through his eyes when he saw Ash, but disappeared just as quick.

"Come in. We were planning a new attack." he said, and Misty whispered a sarcastic "Yay." under her breath. Will chuckled. "I feel the same way."

"Will, who is it?" someone asked.

"Captain Waterflower and Harrison, along with Agent Blue and a new recruit." he replied, and ushered the group in.

In the middle of the room was a large table surrounded by fifteen chairs. Ash quickly did the math in his head, giving a chair to each Kanto Gym Leader and Elite Four member on their side, along with the the Johto Elite Four and their current Champion, Lance.

Lance had been Champion of both Johto and Kanto, defeating Gold Hibiki of Johto when he was seventeen and six years later, Red Hitokage in a close match, ending when his Dragonair evolved during the battle and wiped out any remaining competition. It's said that Red left for Mt. Silver to train, and one day, defeat all the reigning Champions and be given the title of 'Pokèmon Master'.

In reality, there were only 5 chairs filled. Agatha, Lorelei, Bruno, Will, and Lance. Sprawled across the table was a map of Johto and Kanto; there were dots of many colours littered across the map. Ash assumed each one meant something, but he had no idea what.

Realizing things might get difficult quite soon, he quietly unzipped his backpack while no one was looking at him. A shifting mouse getting ready to battle was his answer.

"Lance, we came with important news." Misty said fiercely, and Lance looked up.

"What's so important? We're trying to plan an attack here." he scowled.

Ash smiled; unlike the last two times, he was prepared to be attacked or threatened. It was sort of like some twisted greeting.

"I am new recruit Agent Yellow, but my full name is Ash Satoshi Ketchum. I think you might recognize me. I was left behind at Indigo Plateau three years ago and only managed to escape my cell under Team Rocket's former HQ a day ago. " he said, calm as humanely possible.

Nobody said a word. How could you after hearing someone say that with such untroubled words?

Will smirked, almost like he knew from when Ash stepped into the room. Bruno was mildly impressed. Lorelei looked slightly shocked, and Agatha was smiling proudly.

Lance, on the other hand, looked conflicted in an inside battle between guilt, rage, distrust, happiness, and an urge for a Pokèmon battle.

Finally, he gave into his first instinct, distrust.

"Prove it." he said angrily.

"Fair enough. Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the table." Ash said cooly, and his mouse jumped up and slammed an iron-hard tail into their planning table, leaving a large mark on the edge closest to Ash. He smiled. "Guess this is my spot." he said cheerfully, and pulled up the nearest chair and sat next to the mark, watching amusingly as the Elites looked at Lance, asking the silent question: was that proof?

Lance was definitely impressed; the emotion flashed briefly across his face before it was replaced by a small frown.

"Where exactly have you been for the last three years again?" he asked suspiciously. Ash rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Alright, you got me. I was secretly working for Giovanni for the last few years, trying to help maintain his grip on Johto. Just as I finished taking control of the Goldenrod Radio Station, he told me to return to base for a special mission: infiltrate your base and discover your secrets, which are way too obvious. Also, I planned on 'defeating' Giovanni while I was at it, secretly helping him return to his low profile if he realized he wasn't strong enough to win. I was then finally going to return to Pallet Town, where my mom was going to cook me a nice pot roast. To bad you ruined my plans!" he said coldly.

"Oh, and in case you missed it, I was being sarcastic!" he yelled. Pikachu chuckled.

He looked sadly at everyone, and they all seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"Really? You guys really think I love Team Rocket? If you were there, you would've noticed me tell Pikachu to use Thunderbolt on them as often as possible."

Ash sighed, pushing his bangs out of his eyes reflexively. Then, faster then anyone expected, he bolted up and ran out the door.

* * *

Ash's POV

The stress was getting to me; I needed some air. This underground war room was choking me.

I ran out of the room, ignoring Misty's pleas or Gary's calls for me to come back. Pikachu was with me, and he knew why I left. The mouse was truly my best friend.

Dashing through the many corridors in Cerulean City Gym, I finally spotted the red light above my head with the words blazing in capitol letters: EXIT.

Pushing the door open, I took a deep breath of evening air, letting it calm me down. I started to walk away from the Gym; let them worry about me. I was free to go as I pleased.

As I got farther and farther away from the Gym, noises seemed to get more prominent; a Noctowl hooting, a glow from Volbeat flying around the darkening sky, an Eevee evolving into an Umbreon, it's yellow circles glowing in the moonlight.

Then I heard the voices pierce the calm tranquility of the night.

"Are you sure he is nearby?"

"Petrel said the tracker lead to here."

"But it's so hard to see it this darkness!"

"Don't be a baby. There's only one way to settle this. Weezing, come out here and use Flash!"

For some strange reason, I decided to hide behind a nearby tree. I had a bad feeling that those voices were not people I wanted to find me.

"See? He's not here. Everyone knows Petrel's obviously losing his marbles anyway. Let's get back to base!"

"No! Petrel said he would go to their base! If we can follow him there and tell Giovanni it's location, we might get a promotion!"

A shiver went up Ash's spine. He was being tracked! A tracking device must be on something he was carrying, but what?

He quietly glanced at his backpack. Even in the darkness, Pikachu was helpful enough to glow a bit with electrical energy, allowing Ash to check his stuff.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing!Where is it?" his whispered furiously. It wasn't on his clothes, his backpack, his hat, where was it?

It was a random thought, but fit into place perfectly: his Pokèballs.

He held each one up to the light.

Charizard? No.

Staraptor? No.

Gabite? Nothing.

Croconaw? Nope.

Sceptile? Not there.

Infernape? No.

Eevee? No.

Pikachu? Nothing.

Frustration was getting to him. Where was the stupid thing? Then he saw the tiny blinking light.

It could't have been bigger than a grain of sand; the red light flashed on top of the lightning bolt sticker, right at the tip of the bolt.

Ash easily picked it off with his fingernail, he spotted a Pikachu sleeping in a tree nearby.

"Pikachu? Can you attach this to that Pikachu up there?" he asked, and his loyal mouse carefully held the tiny device in his paw as he climbed the tree and stuck the tracker to the wild Pikachu's tail. She didn't notice a thing.

Watching for the Rocket duo, he snuck away from the small forest area and went back towards the city.

* * *

**Enjoy my evil cliffhanger! Did you really not think he wouldn't have a tracker in case he escaped? Giovanni is not like those idiots, the Ex-Team Rocket trio. What happened to them in the last three years, anyway?**

**Bye-bye,**

**Ty8**


	17. Jessie! James! BUTCH IS MY NAME!

**I was bored, waiting for my favourite stories to update when I realized that someone else was doing the same thing for me, so I decided to update! Please, enjoy.**

**Also, I realized that giving out virtual chocolate bars is not healthy for my readers. From now on, I only hand out ****virtual veggies!**

**That's right, only cauliflower and broccoli and onions and carrots and radishes and ****_ARCEUS WHY DID YOU CREATE THEM_**** brussels sprouts. *shudders***

**What am I thinking?!**

**Take all my candy! Stay away from evil brussels sprouts! Never stop eating virtual junk!**

* * *

_"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."_

\- George Bernard Shaw

* * *

Unknown Location, Kanto

The slender claw slipped in between the thick iron door. Cursing under his breath, he twisted and turned until he heard a familiar *click* that meant the door was unlocked.

He scurried into the room, followed by two others, a male an female. The man swiftly crossed the room in few steps towards the computer, the quiet tapping of keys as he hacked into the database. Within moments, he was downloading all the files onto his silver USB stick, humming a familiar tune as the stick collected information. As soon as it was done, he removed it and typed the overwrite code and smiled as all the files disappeared in a matter of seconds.

The man pocketed the device and walked back towards his partners, and together they followed the female as she darted through the high-security building, finally finding a vent big enough.

The trio escaped, not leaving a shred of evidence that they were ever there.

* * *

Ash was quick to get back to the Gym. He was worried that someone had spotted him as he left. By 'someone', he meant the two Rockets that had been tailing him.

As he got closer, he spotted the redhead just before she pulled him into a hug. He was surprised at first, before he noticed everyone else watching.

"I was so worried about you. Don't disappear like that!" she whispered into his ear.

He pulled back and looked deep into her green eyes. He saw the flicker of rebellion in her eyes, like she was proud of how he acted.

"Don't worry, I would never leave without a goodbye kiss." he replied smugly.

Everyone in the background was intrigued by the sudden swap of emotions; one minute, it was romance, the next, he was holding his head and lying on the ground.

"At least she had the decency to leave him conscious this time," Brock muttered to Gary, and the brown haired teen chuckled. Pikachu grinned.

* * *

Everyone had settled into a seat.

"Alright, let's get back to work. We were planning out our next attack, and Lorelei has just received word from a field agent about Giovanni's whereabouts." Lance said loudly over the noise of chairs being pulled out and questions in the air.

Ash noticeably perked up in his seat as Lance said that. Agatha noted the fire in his eyes.

"Where is he?" Ash asked, and if you couldn't read the emotions that had flashed across his face, you would have thought he was asking a caual question.

"We believe he is near the Orange Islands, working in a secret laboratory on an unknown project."

"We have the information you're missing right in this."

And a person Ash couldn't quiet recognize held up a shiny flash drive. The room got brighter after that announcement.

"Nice work. Let's get this to my laptop." Gary said, and everyone was silent as he plugged it into the side of his laptop and began to search the many files. Will attached the laptop to a projector and they all watched the tiny mouse hover over different lab led files.

" Vermillion locations, Viridian locations, minor base locations..." Gary said as he scrolled through the documents. He looked puzzled as his mouse hovered over one labelled "Viridian Lab Testing". Lance nodded at him and he clicked the file, opening a document.

Ash skimmed through the report. Most of it said things like "subject moved slightly," or "no activity reported".

Finally, he found an actual report.

"Subject is looking better. Some scientists are considering making the subject more powerful. It would be stronger than the real Pokèmon we based it on, and would have powerful psychic power stronger than any other Pokèmon. After a vote, we decided to make our subject more powerful. Some think it will be too powerful for us to control, and that we should not mess with nature. But we have already done the impossible: creating a Mew clone. Why not do better?"

It dawned on him. He knew what it was. Misty and Brock looked at him, and he nodded. They knew too.

"Wait. Team Rocket created a Mew clone?" Gar asked incredulously. Ash nodded, his head bowed. He felt sad, sad for his friend that he met twice before. Strangely, he only remembered one encounter though.

"No, Team Rocket didn't create a Mew clone." Ash said, and everyone who didn't know about the legendary Pokèmon was looking at him.

Ash continued. "They created a new Pokèmon from Mew's DNA. He was Mewtwo."

"How do you know about it?" Agatha inquired. Ash sighed.

"I met him twice. The second time I saved him from Team Rocket, the first time was when I died."

"You...died?" Will said slowly, as if he was saying something incorrectly.

"I was brought back to life by Pokèmon. Mewtwo told me about it later. He said that he had wiped everyone's memories, which was why I didn't remember."

"Is he dangerous?" Lance asked.

"Some say he is. I think he just doesn't trust people. I haven't seen him since we last met in Johto." Ash replied.

No one knew what to say. Gary closed the file ad scrolled through the remaining ones.

"Guys, I found one labelled "Orange Island Lab". Is that the one we want?" Gary questioned, and Lance once again motioned of it to be opened.

The file showed a whole lot of junk. Mostly lab reports on radio waves and minor atmosphere changes.

"So, Giovanni is basically doing nothing." Misty said, and although nobody said anything, they all knew it was true.

"What a waste of time." muttered a woman. Ash turned around and saw a tall figure with magenta hair and a man next to her. He had an unusual shade of lavender hair cropped short, barely brushing his shoulders. Ash didn't see the small Meowth about as tall as their knees, nor the familiar sound to the woman's voice. The only thing he noticed was a large 'R' on their black uniform.

I think, since he was captured by Team Rocket, he deserves to freak out? Agreed?

"Rockets!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. The chair he had moments ago rested in was clattering on the ground. Pikachu, who had been sitting in his lap, was in a battle position, cheeks sparking menacingly.

"Pika Pika!" he growled. Ash's eyes seemed to harden into something unseen for a while: the cold, calculating focus a Trainer uses when preparing to hit. Almost like they're scanning for weakness, strength, chinks in the armour.

Misty grabbed Ash's arm. "Ash, don't hit them. You'll only cause trouble-" she froze as the word escaped her lips. It was the wrong thing to say.

"Prepare for trouble, we've been gone for a while,"

"And make it double, we're returning in style."

"To protect the world from Team Rocket's devastation,"

"To unite all of the rebellion within the Kanto nation."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Part of the Alliance, we defend against Giovanni's powerful might!"

"Surrender now, Grunts, 'cause we're winning this fight!"

"Meowth, we're workin' day and night!"

"Wobbuffet!" the blue Pokèmon cheered, popping out of it's Pokéball in a flash of white. Jessie angrily recalled the Pokèmon. Brock turned to Misty, who had sat down in defeat as soon as they began their motto. "Misty, how do you think they rhyme words like that on the spot?" he asked. She shrugged. "Beats me."

"Team... Rocket?" Ash stated tentatively. Meowth smiled.

"That's right! We missed you, original twerp!"

"What did you call me?"

James came forward, and the other two followed. They ended up in a group hug, which Ash felt uncomfortable with.

"We missed you and Pikachu! I still remember the days when we blasted off." James said, and Jessie and Meowth seemed to recall some strange, distant memory.

"That's not important!" Jessie snapped. "Where were you?"

"Um, northern Kanto?"

"The abandoned HQ?" James asked.

"Yeah. Makes sense. No one ever looks in old headquarters. There wasn't many Rockets there anyway. By the way, what do I call you now? Ex-Team Rocket?"

"Sure. Can we still call you twerp even though we're on the same team?" the trio asked. Ash nodded. "Go ahead."

"Pika Pikachu?" the little mouse questioned. He was confused.

"Pikachu wants to know what we're doin' now. Ideas?" Meowth translated.

"I say we go to the Orange Islands right now and attack their secret lab!" Ash shouted. "Pikachu!" the rodent agreed.

"Too risky, twerp. It's surrounded. We'd know." Jessie replied.

"Then what do we do now?" Ash inquired.

"Plan an attack." Gary said, finally stepping into the conversation.

* * *

Farther away, two Rockets were tracking a tiny mouse they assumed was a person. They had followed it to Saffron, then Lavender, then back to Cerulean using a radar device given to them by Executive Petrel. Now, they were on the city's outskirts, supposedly right next to their target. Cassidy was getting impatient.

"This kid is crazy! Let's go back to the base and report that he went insane."

"No! We have to find the Alliance base!" Barney- sorry, Butch replied. Cassidy rolled her eyes.

"He's obviously not going to the Alliance base. Let's go back." she told her idiotic partner.

"Not until we have a location." he said, and Cassidy just groaned in exhaustion. "Why was I paired up with Bobby?" she muttered to herself.

"It's Butch!" the teal haired guy yelled at her.

"Whatever." she said solemnly.

She looked up at the stars, staring at the crescent moon. It was quite a sight, reminding her of a Lunatone.

That's when she saw the tiny blinking light flashing from the heart-shaped tail of a wild Pikachu.

"Barry, look!" she whispered to her partner. He scowled. "It's Butch." he said, eye twitching. "Forget about the name. Look up there!" she said, and watched as he looked up, seeing the tiny light and putting the pieces together.

"How long do you think we were following that Pikachu?" he asked.

"Dunno. Probably since we first noticed activity in Cerulean." she replied.

"So the base is in Cerulean?"

"How should I know? Go grab that Pikachu. We'll show it to Petrel, and that will be our excuse for failing our mission."

"You grab it. I'm not climbing a tree."

"Don't whine Biff, go get it."

"IT"S BUTCH! WHY CAN"T YOU REMEMBER MY NAME?" the guy yelled, and the Pikachu, who are well-known for their hearing, see them and run away, scampering through the treetops.

"Nice work, Chuck. Now it's gone." Cassidy glared. Buffy- my fault again, Butch looked ready to strangle her.

"Why don't we search Cerulean City for a hidden base?" he suggested.

"Good idea. Let's go, Butch."

"It's Bobby- no, wait, it is Butch. Wait for me!"

* * *

The duo wandered through the dark city, lit only by streetlights.

"See anything Alliance-like?" Butch asked.

"Nah. You?" Cassidy asked, and Butch shook his head.

"Maybe the Gym. After all, this is one of those Alliance Gym Leaders." Cassidy said, and the two went towards the large building.

Sadly for them, they were stopped by a large purple creature. In the darkness, the thing looked like some sort of mutant Pokèmon, and Cassidy and Butch were paralyzed with fear.

"Petrel didn't warn us that the Alliance had their own secret projects." Cassidy whispered.

"Petrel didn't tell us much at all, did he?" Butch replied.

_You must leave now, Rockets. _the thing said telepathically.

"It talks. Bill, it talks."

"Yeah, I guess it does. My name is Butch, Cassidy."

_Go now, before I wipe the planet of you. _He said more forcefully. To himself, he began musing interesting thoughts. _Perhaps if I get rid of them, I'll be a hero, and the humans will worship me like Arceus._

Somehow, the two Rockets managed to move. They began backing up, slowly at first, but moving faster once they felt safer.

"Run Cassidy!"

"I'm trying, Botch!"

"It's Butch!"

* * *

**So, I'm done.**

**Hope you people like it. I love to write TR mottos! It's just so much fun! Please, remember to review, and I'll try to update again soon!**

**Bye-bye,**

**Ty8**


	18. A Purple Non-Social Legendary

**Disclaimer: I'm expressing my thoughts in poetry today.**

_**No, I haven't caught them all,**_

_**Yes, when in battle, I have skill.**_

_**Although I don't own Pokèmon right now,**_

_**I know someday I will!**_

* * *

Ash felt a strange feeling, one he felt occasionally before, but not usually this strong. It was definitely a psychic presence. Out of nowhere, it it him hard. He doubled over in his chair, causing worried faces and people come towards him.

The voice was weird, not cheerful, not regal, no mysterious. Just cold, calm and strong.

_Ash Ketchum, we find each other once again. It seems fitting, considering that you helped me become who I am today._

"Please, just call me Ash," he mumbled, and even though his vision got a little hazy as the presence stayed with him, he was sure someone mentioned him talking to a ghost.

_Alright, Ash. Tell me, you want to know what Giovanni is doing, right?_

"Yeah. Do you know anything?" he asked quietly.

_I do. Now, I don't want to go there with all those humans, so I'm going to bring you here. Don't move._

"Wait, I gotta tell them where-"

And just like that, he was gone in a glow of purple light.

* * *

Pikachu didn't know where his Pikapi was. He had a feeling that he was safe, but since nobody in the room spoke Pokèmon, he couldn't really reassure the people now freaking out as their friend disappeared.

Then he remembered Meowth.

Scurrying over to the Scratch Cat Pokèmon, he stood up on his hind feet, waving his arms as he spoke rapidly.

"Pika Pikachu Pikapi Pi PikaPika Pikachu Pi Pikachu Pikachu!" he said, finally stoping for breath.

Jessie bent down, turning her head to Meowth. "What did the twerp's Pikachu say?"

"He said dat the twerp would be fine, and that he felt it in his... tail?"

"Better tell the others." she said, and got up, walking quickly to the table.

"Twerps, Champion and other people, Pikachu said the twerp would be fine, so stop worrying your twerpish heads!" she said, and everyone was silent for a moment, not quite comprehending what she said. Finally, Misty sat down, and Brock followed. Soon, the others slowly sat down, and the room was a little quieter. Not for long, though.

* * *

Ash popped up in a cavern. It was dark, cold, and water was dripping from the roof.

"Hello? Anyone?" he called out.

_Ash._

The raven haired teen turned quickly as he felt the word echo in his head. He quickly spotted the purple glow.

"Who are you?" he asked, a bit of fear in his voice.

_We have met before. I am Mewtwo._

"Oh, hey Mewtwo! How are you doing? Are the clones safe? What happened to Mew?"

_Uh, the clones are fine, Mew is in a bubble underwater, sleeping, and I am overcome with rage at the sight of Team Rocket in charge. How did they do it?_

Ash didn't know how to answer that, so he avoided the question. "What do you want to tell me?" he questioned.

Mewtwo looked upset. _I figured out what Giovanni was up to. It wasn't too hard to find some scientist and search their mind. Then I dropped him in the ocean._

"Umm, I'm gonna ignore that. What did you find out?" Ash said, slowly. It was hard to talk to a guy without any emotions. Sorta like talking to his old rival, Paul!

_Who is Paul? Never mind, actually. Team Rocket has some evil plans. They're unburying things, things that should be left alone._

"What? What are they doing?"

_Trying to reactivate Pokèrus._

"You're going to have to be more specific. I don't know what the hell this Pokèrus thing is, so you'll have to give me some details." Ash said, and Mewtwo nodded.

_Long ago, before even I was created, there was a disease spreading through Johto. It would boost a Pokèmon's powers for a little while, but would only last 48 hours. But it seemed that a certain strain would weaken a Pokèmon's mind and power, until they would attack with anyone's command. The disease died off with a Ditto who was quarantined until it passed away. It is my fear that Giovanni want to find this strain and infect the legendary Pokèmon with it. _

"If it died off, how is Team Rocket going to get their hands on it?" Ash asked. He was truly worried about this Pokèrus.

_That, I don't know. From what I found out, they must have found it somehow, and are regenerating it as we speak._

"Well, let's go tell the others." Ash said, sighing.

_Ash, I'm not coming. You know I'm not very social._

It's okay, I'll introduce you. Everyone will be wanting to know who took me anyway, especially Misty."

* * *

Mewtwo and Ash teleported to the Gym doors. Mewtwo looked fidgety, his tail twitching slightly.

"Come on." Ash said, tugging his arm.

They walked down the secret halls, knocking on the door when they got to it. Will opened it, and looked at the pair of them.

"Hello Ash. I'm not sure who that is, but I felt his presence from a mile away!" he said, trying to lighten the mood. Ash laughed a little. Mewtwo just looked confused though.

_I don't understand. You weren't on my radar of psychic Pokèmon, so you couldn't have felt my presence._

"Will's a psychic. He's human, so you didn't notice him." Ash explained, and Mewtwo nodded in understanding.

They walked in, and Pikachu dashed into his Trainer's arms.

"Pikapi Pikachu Pika!" he scolded.

"Sorry buddy," Ash apologized. The raven haired teen turned towards everyone, who were staring at the strange Pokèmon.

Mewtwo didn't like that.

_If you continue to look at me like some monster under your bed, I will make you regret ever setting your eyes upon me. _he said, a slight edge to his normally cool demeanour.

While Misty, Brock, Gary, the ex-Pikachu thieves and the Elites looked away, Lance seemed suspicious, standing up with a Pokèball.

"You think you can win against me?" he asked. Mewtwo grinned almost evilly.

_More than win, I could have you and your Pokèmon to become my servants, controlling your every thought._

That sobered Lance up quick, and he sat down next to the others. Ash stepped forward.

"Alright, everyone, this is Mewtwo."

Noise erupted from the table, everyone talking over each other, arguing and fights starting. Pikachu, after a signal from Ash, released a Thunderbolt.

The group sat down again, listening once more.

"Now, as I was saying, this is Mewtwo. He's my, er, friend-" he glanced at the psychic, who nodded "-and he felt uncomfortable around people, so he teleported me to him. He's told me of Giovanni's master plan, and it doesn't sound good. Basically, we've got a case of mind-controlling villans here. Any questions?"

* * *

Unknown Location, Kanto/Johto Border

"Giovanni, sir?"

"What is it now, Petrel?"

"I was given a report from some Grunts tracking the Ketchum kid. They say they had a lead in Cerulean, but before they could investigate, were stopped by an unidentified Pokèmon."

"How exactly is this important to me?"

"They say that the Alliance created it, sir."

"Really? Well then, send in an Executive who's not busy."

"Sir, may I-"

"No, not you. You can't even find the Alliance base, why would I trust you with this? Send someone else."

Giovanni sighed. Sometimes his workers were complete idiots.

* * *

Ash was elated.

They were finally doing something productive. It was almost morning, and him and Gary were going to check out the abandoned Power Plant on Route 10. Rumor was that Team Rocket were capturing Electric types there, and Ash had practically begged to go rescue them. So here he was, sneaking through the bushes to get to the water. The Power Plant was impossible to get to without swimming through the river.

"Blastoise, come out!"

"You too, Croconaw!"

The two Water types gladly agreed to help them get to the Power Plant, and within moments, they were back on dry land.

"Thanks, return."

"Take a rest, buddy."

The tall grass was hard to walk through, rustling at their every movement.

"Do you hear that Gary?" Ash asked.

"No. What did you hear?"

"Personally, I can hear the sound of two Alliance rebels, but that might just be my imagination. What do you think?"

Ash's heart stopped. He turned his head ever so slightly, and saw a man standing nearby, with teal coloured hair and matching eyes. A smirk appeared on his face.

"Interesting. Just my luck, it's the kid the Boss was looking for. It feels like an early Christmas."

Ash saw Gary reach slowly for a Pokèball. Ash did the same, grabbing the first one he could find. He tossed it out.

With a burst of white light, a tiny brown Pokèmon came out.

"Eevee!" she smiled, but that turned into terror when the Houndoom's teeth went for her neck.

"Eve, use Take Down!" Ash yelled, but just watching the tiny Pokèmon attempt to fight against the large dog was frightening.

"Eevee!" Eevee replied, slamming into the Dark Pokèmon. But that didn't faze the dog at all as he tackled the tiny Pokèmon and barred his teeth.

Sunlight started to streak the sky, lighting the grass with rays of light as the sun rose.

"Swift!" Ash commanded, and tiny stars came from Eevee's mouth, and Houndoom backed his head up a little.

"Now Bite!" Ash said, and Eevee chomped down on Houndoom with her tiny teeth. Houndoom growled.

Then Eevee shocked everyone.

Eevee sparkled, and sent stars at the Fire/Dark type. The Last Resort attack knocked her opponent off of her, and the dog landed at Archer's feet.

"Pity. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." he said softly.

"Come to what?" Ash asked, anger in his voice.

Archer's answer was cut off by an explosion, and everything went black for the two rebels.


	19. Meet The TR Executives

**Welcome to a new chapter of In My Darkest Hour! I hope people like my new cover photo! Prepare for a chapter that will make you freak out, become excited, then worried, then freak out again, then possibly sleep, and finally, anger and rage at the author.**

**Crap, that's me. Forget everything I just said, 'cause you love your amazing author!**

**Disclaimer: I never have and I never will. Why can't you get this through your head? I don't own Pokèmon!**

* * *

Archer hated playing dirty. He preferred to win fair and square, as crazy as that sounds coming from a Team Rocket Executive. But between his own morals and pleasing his boss, he preferred the latter.

So when his Houndoom fainted, he was forced to use some unorthodox battling methods.

At a silent signal, the Grunts released the wild Voltorb that were caught at the Power Plant a few weeks ago. Proton was sent here to catch them, and he easily got them all, the traps working perfectly as the Electric Pokèmon were tied up and trapped in nets.

The Voltorb, full of rage, used Self-Destruct, creating a blinding light and stopping anyone from seeing anything. Archer then sent out his Koffing in the confusion.

"Poison Gas!"

It wasn't really that strong of a poison, just bad enough that they'd be out cold for a long time, enough time that Archer could bring them to Giovanni.

As the poisonous fumes settled in their lungs, the two rebels fell to the ground, unconscious.

Archer sighed; he really hated to cheat.

* * *

Ever since he had snapped at Ash, Silver was a little quieter.

It was already quiet with him being alone, but his Pokèmon noticed a difference in their master. Silver kept it to himself, but deep in the back of his mind, he was planning an attack on his father. It wasn't going to be easy, and he may need to do some extra hard training with his team, but as long as he kept Ash out of it, he knew it would work.

Ash was a great trainer, but he didn't understand stealth. He was loud, and used his emotions to judge a situation. Silver knew that Giovanni would be well guarded by Grunts and Executives, and even if you could get past them, there was still the Boss to finish off. Ash would try to battle anyone in sight, while Silver would avoid everyone and easily make his way to Giovanni.

Giovanni was another reason Ash couldn't come. Ash would take Giovanni to the Alliance and they would imprison him. Bt Silver couldn't let that happen. Silver had a simple plan. He'd go in alone, and come out alone. He knew some peaceful agreement or cease-fire wouldn't work. Giovanni needed to be taken out, and Ash and the Alliance were against unnecessary violence.

He had a few more reasons, but those were his biggest ones. And today, his plan was going to be set in motion while the Alliance planned out another territorial battle. And Ash would be with them, far away from Silver and his own plan.

How very wrong he was.

* * *

"Why aren't Ash and Gary back? They should have returned two hours ago!" Misty asked. He voice had a slight edge to it within the worry, implying that if she wasn't answered soon, someone would be meeting her mallet.

Mewtwo sighed. These humans were strange, annoying, and one of them had hit him with a large wooden hammer that he turned into sawdust immediately, but a new one was somehow formed again already.

He had to agree, though, that Ash and his human friend should've returned by now. Scenarios played through his mind, accidents that might have happened, wild Pokèmon trouble, or even a Rocket attack.

For some reason, he worried a little about Ash. He didn't know why, but the human was nice to him, and he had a small bond with him.

So Mewtwo did something he never would have if he hadn't met Ash. He got up and (sort of hovered?) over to one of the Elites.

I fear something has happened to Ash and his friend.

Will nodded. He was thinking the same thing, but told himself that he was overreacting.

"I agree, but what can we do?" he whispered.

I can sense him. I will find him and bring him back. Tell no one where I have gone.

Will smiled respectfully. "Of course."

* * *

Ash woke up to see yet another prison cell.

"Again with the cells..." he mumbled, half conscious. Gary was still quiet.

Slowly, the world came into focus. Ash looked around. This cell looked more high security than his old one.

Gary shifted, coming back to the real world.

"Come on Gary, I can't break out without your insulting comments to energize me!" Ash tried. Gary didn't reply.

"It was worth a shot." The raven haired teen mumbled. He checked his Pokèbelt, which he still surprisingly had on him.

"Sceptile, Eve, Infernape and Croconaw. Why did I leave Pikachu, Charizard, Staraptor and Gabite back in Cerulean again?"

"...You didn't...think you'd...need them..." Gary said, finally getting up.

"Do you have anything, Gary?" Ash asked.

"Electivire, Umbreon, Arcanine and Blastoise." Gary replied.

"What do we do now then?" Ash questioned out loud. His question was answered by a door opening and closing loudly, followed by the sound of shoes on the concrete floor. Soon enough, a man came up, his black hair darker than night and his heart cold as ice.

"Hello Ash."

* * *

Mewtwo roamed Kanto, searching from the sky. He flew, glowing a light blue colour as he tried to find Ash and his friend. The closer to Viridian Mewtwo got, the more powerful Ash's aura felt, and Mewtwo knew they were caught. Viridian was Rocket territory.

Ash and his partner are in Viridian. I can only assume the worst. the psychic sighed, and everyone looked a little sadder.

Misty growled, the anger coming from deep inside. She wouldn't lose Ash again, not like this.

"Well?" she asked , her rage radiating through the room as everyone was quiet. "Let's plan our rescue mission."

* * *

"Giovanni." Ash said quietly.

The Rocket Boss hadn't expected such a calm reaction. The brown haired rebel's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, but Ketchum was calm, enraging Giovanni almost instantly. He wanted a reaction, he wanted him to yell, kick at the bars, release a Pokèmon, anything, but he was silent. Too silent.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he chuckled. Ash just looked at him in the eyes, not saying a word.

Giovanni smirked. "Fine, be silent. I don't care if you talk, as long as you bring the rebels to me."

Gary finally found his voice. "What do you mean?"

"Why would I tell you? Everyone always reveals their master plan, and that's how the good guys win. I'm not an idiot like a few others I know. You can just sit there and rot for all I care while the rebels try to rescue you."

"You think you can catch them all? Please." Gary scoffed.

"I don't need to catch them all, just one. One is all it takes for human emotions to cloud their judgement. With just one person, I will have the Alliance surrendering instantly."

As his words sunk in, the Rocket Boss left the prison cells, leaving them alone again.

Or, at least until another voice was heard.

"Gary?"

* * *

_Flashback: 3 Years Ago_

_Gary Oak had no idea what to do. His best friend was captured by Team Rocket again, and Giovanni was now in control of Kanto. Gary had nowhere else to go, so the young teen caught the first train ride to Saffron from Goldenrod. Misty and Brock came with him. They both wanted to come with him back to Pallet Town. They wanted to follow him home._

_It took about five days to get there from Saffron City because Viridian was under attack. We had to go the long way, through Cinnabar Island._

_But when we got there, Pallet Town was empty. There wasn't a soul living there, like everyone just packed up and left, leaving everything how it was when they disappeared._

_His grandfather's lab was empty except for an injured Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur couldn't tell them what happened, so they were thinking the worst when the trio appeared._

_"We got here before you three twerps," Jessie said. James nodded solemnly._

_"Team Rocket attacked. All those people ran to safety, but they got the professor guy while he was releasing the Pokèmon into the wild."_

_"Dat's right! And this here Bulbasaur tried to stop 'dem, but couldn't." Meowth added, looking at Bulbasaur._

_"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" the Grass type nodded, trying to get up._

_"Why were you three here?" Misty asked. They looked down at the floor, suddenly quiet._

_Finally, James said it._

_"We were going to see if we could stay here since we quit Team Rocket. They're probably looking for us now, so we were going to hide at the twerp's house."_

_"Why don't you come with us? We're against Team Rocket too, and someone probably wants us as well." Brock offered, and the trio nodded._

_"Do you know what happened to Mrs. Ketchum?" Gary asked, but the ex-Rockets shook their heads sadly._

_"Well, let's go then."_

_End Flashback_

"Grandpa?" Gary asked slowly, and Ash shot up like a rocket- actually, that's not the best word to use right now. Let's just say he got up really fast.

"Professor Oak? Why are you here?"

The Professor sounded tired. "Those Rocket goons attacked a few days after the Pokèmon League was taken by Giovanni and Team Rocket. They wanted my help on a special project, but I refused. Is it true that you helped them defeat the Elie Four, Ash?"

The raven haired teen cringed, unable to say anything.

It was his fault. It was all his fault!

He tried to reassure himself, but that little voice kept coming back.

You helped Team Rocket take over Kanto! You're why this region is falling to pieces!

"I-didn't-want..." he tried to say, but words failed him. Luckily, someone else came to his defence.

"Of course he wasn't doing it willingly! Team Rocket are scum that forced my baby into their group because they were too weak to do anything on their own!"

"Mom?" Ash managed to choke out. Gary was surprised.

"Mrs. Ketchum, why are you here?"

"Gary, dear, don't ask questions you know the answer to. I'm Ash's mom. If anyone would be here after Team Rocket took over, it would be me." she replied, still being her kind self.

Inspiration struck Ash.

"Mom, do you have Mr. Mime with you?" he asked her.

"Yes, but why do you ask?" she questioned, puzzled.

"We just found our way out."

* * *

"Mimey, use Psychic please."

Mr. Mime easily bent the bars keeping Professor Oak and Delia in. They walked over to Ash and Gary's cell, where Mr. Mime bent those bars as well. Delia pulled her son into a tight hug, nearly strangling him.

"Mom-you're-choking-me!" Ash gasped, and his mom let go.

"Sorry sweetie, but it's been a long time. Have you been changing your underwear everyday?"

Gary snorted as he tried to hold in laughter. "Mom!" Ash whined. "I'm almost an adult! I can change my underwear everyday!"

Gary's face became serious. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Gary released his Blastoise. "Blastoise, use Hydro Pump on that door!" he shouted, pointing at the thick steel door.

It was almost too easy for the turtle to knock it over; Gary recalled his Pokèmon and the group ran out.

Ash was in the front, and had just turned a corner when he spotted the Executive.

"Don't say a word." He whispered to Gary, who retold the message to Professor Oak and Delia.

Gripping a Pokèball, Ash ran forward, tossing the Pokèball as it released Sceptile.

"Leaf Storm!" he yelled, and the Executive barely dodged the attack.

"Sneaky, but you're not the only one who can do that! Golbat, Supersonic!" he called out, releasing a huge bat.

Ash covered his ears, but couldn't block out the unearthly wail coming from the bat. He fell to his knees, his head pounding. Sceptile was definitely Confused, because the Forest Pokèmon was attacking itself with Leaf Blade.

Then he saw Golbat frozen by a blue aura.

"Mime!"

"Leave my Ash alone!" Delia shouted, and Proton looked scared. Ash couldn't blame him; his mom could be frightening when she wanted to be.

Golbat was slammed into the floor hard, and was knocked out instantly. Recalling his Pokèmon, the Executive backed up slowly. He suddenly ran, and Ash chuckled as he went.

His mom was awesome.

* * *

The group walked up flight after flight of stairs, finally reaching the ground floor.

"We're going to keep going. I want a word with that Giovanni fellow. How dare he kidnap my son!"

"Mom, we should really get out of here-"

"There they are!"

There stood Proton, furious, and next to him was a red haired woman. She looked pretty strong. Ash enlarged a Pokèball, and Gary did the same.

"Now, I know you want to leave, but we really can't allow that," the woman snarled.

"Bring it on, Rockets. I don't care what rank you are, you are the worst thing a person can become." Ash said threateningly, and released his Infernape. Gary sent out his Electivire.

"Alright, have it your way." Ariana said smugly, sending out her Arbok. Proton released his Weezing.

The last thing either side expected was to have a Weavile leap forward and use Blizzard on the two Executive's Pokèmon. Both fainted instantly.

Proton was dumbstruck, but Ariana looked almost murderous. "Silver." she hissed.

The red haired teen came forward, dressed exactly like a Grunt.

"I was always good at sneaking in." he said. The two stared at each other, almost like nothing else in the room existed.

And they would have kept staring if a large purple Legendary Pokèmon didn't appear in the centre of the room and teleport four people out.

Chaos came soon after.

* * *

**So...**

**Good present? I hope so, 'cause I'm not updating again 'til at least after Boxing Day.**

**Thanks to Kit for her promised happy ending chapter that I worked so hard updating to earn, and thanks for getting me to update. I almost have as many chapters as The Ash Conspiracy: Down In Flames!**

**I'm catching up to you~ ;-)**

**Happy holidays, and if I don't update again, Happy New Year!**

**Later,**

**Typhlosion8**

**P. S. Message to the future Kit the Pokémaniac: Writing this is cool! And if you ever change your username, change it to ChocoChipKitty. It's sounds cute! ^_^**


	20. The Night Saffron Fell

**Hello there. How's everyone doing?  
****Honestly, I can't find anything exciting to read right now. All my favourites haven't updated yet and I can't find a really intense and deep story. I would love suggestions, so feel free to tell me. Please do, because I'm _sooo_bored! Also, prepare for an awesome chappie! And please vote on my poll!**

**Disclaimer: *sighs* I hate this stupid disclaimer. Everyone knows I don't own Pokèmon, and if you don't, go back and read the previous 19 chapters.**

* * *

Teleporting was a peculiar feeling, almost like your body was being separated into each individual atom and was being moved through the air like a swarm of tiny Nincada. It was all darkness, then, the tiny particles all seemed to group back together as his feet touched solid ground and it was like opening his eyes after a long nap or waking up from Jigglypuff's Sing attack.

Ash took in his surroundings, noticing the tall buildings and busy city life. Glowing neon lights were decorating the buildings and crowds of people were everywhere.

He turned to look at his companions. His mom and Professor Oak looked fine, but Gary looked the exact opposite, prepared for an attack. Mewtwo was nowhere in sight, but Ash quickly spotted his eyes glowing blue in an alley.

"Professor! Mom! This way!" he yelled over the noise, and grabbed Gary's arm as he led them towards the Legendary Pokèmon. Mewtwo looked uncomfortable, his tail subconsciously wrapping itself around his left leg.

"Why in Arceus's name would you bring us to Saffron?" Gary hissed, and for once, Mewtwo looked slightly afraid.

_I did not mean to come here. Something stronger brought me here._ he said quietly.

* * *

When he started to Teleport him, Ash and the others, he was going to go to Mt. Moon, and then go to Cerulean from there. But as he guided everyone to follow him as he Teleported, a different psychic force pulled him here, taking the group with him.

If he had to be honest with himself, deep down, he was frightened. He was a powerful psychic, so knowing that something out there was stronger than him was enough to make him actually scared for the first time in his life.

He pushed the thoughts out of his head and forced himself to focus on the situation. He needed to get out of Saffron, but a strange power was preventing him from doing so, like a barrier came out of nowhere.

But he would get them all to safety. Of this, he was certain.

* * *

The group, too busy trying to get out of the city, didn't notice the Alakazam watching them. Holding up his two spoons, the utensils glowed with psychic power. Mewtwo didn't have his barrier up, and the Teleport hit him strongly, unable to resist. Ash and the others didn't even have a barrier, so they all disappeared with Alakazam.

Within seconds, they were in the main room of the Saffron City Gym. A woman with long dark green hair stood there with her eyes closed, holding up random objects around her effortlessly. A book, a spoon, a Marsh Badge, and a familiar doll levitated in the air. Almost like she knew Alakazam was there, she easily guided the objects to the floor, holding up only the spoon, which bent as her eyes opened. Dropping it, the broken spoon clattered to the floor.

"Ala Alakazam." the Psychic type Pokèmon said, and Sabrina looked at the group. The Gym Leader was wearing a casual outfit, sporting a pink tank top and white pants.

" I saw this day a long time ago, you know." she said quietly, and Ash looked confused.

"You knew we'd be in Saffron today?" he asked, and she shook her head ever so slightly.

"No, I saw deeper then that. I foresaw a future with Giovanni controlling Kanto, but things were different then they are now." she told him, and Ash looked even more perplexed.

"How did you see the future if it wasn't what it is now?"

She sighed. Finally looking him in the eye, she seemed to contemplate trying to explain to the raven haired teen.

Finally, she gave in, telling the group everything.

* * *

"Long ago, in simpler times, I was in my Gym, practising my psychic powers when a vision struck me. I've always been able to see the future, but never had as clearly as that day and I probably never will again.

I saw my city under attack by men in black uniforms, Rockets. They were under the commands of four people, three men and a woman. Each looked powerful.

But I also saw other things, rebellious people fighting. I assumed that they were fighting against this army of sorts, and losing. But this future seemed different. There was so little hope, and it seemed like it was futile to fight.

I had always thought that power was the most important thing there was, but a part of me wondered if that was true that day, if power really made someone better. But I swore to myself that I would protect the people of Saffron, no matter what."

"But now," Sabrina said slowly, " I feel like I will have failed them, because even now, Alakazam and I have sense the presence of Team Rocket in our city for a long time now. They will strike soon, and take Saffron for their own. And I will have failed because I would like to join you as you return to the Alliance and do what I can to stop Team Rocket. I may lose my city, but only temporarily."

The Gym Leader looked at Mewtwo.

"Your powers are strong, but I've had mine since birth, and have been practicing for years. If I was a Psychic Pokèmon, I would defeat you without getting a scratch."

_I understand. _Mewtwo said.

"Good." Sabrina said, a small, barely visible smile flashing across her face before disappearing.

"Let's go then." Gary said, and the group walked through the doors of the Gym to be met with a shocking welcome.

Dozens of Team Rocket Grunts awaited them outside the Saffron City Gym. A purple haired man stood with them, a smug grin on his face.

"Giovanni trusted me enough to lead the attack. We were going to start by taking over the Gym, but looks like there's been a change of plans."

"Who do you think you are?" Ash yelled, and the guy seemed offended.

"How could you not recognize me? Well, I'm Petrel, a Team Rocket Executive."

He released a Weezing, and Sabrina stepped forward, her Alakazam in front of her, staring at the Weezing as it raised it's spoons.

"You will not have my Gym, you will not have Saffron City and you will _never _get the region of Kanto." she said strongly, and you could feel her psychic power surging off her in waves. Either Petrel felt it too, or he was just frightened by her expression (which can be quite terrifying), because he backed up a little.

"Alright, listen. I'm a nice guy. I'll leave the Gym alone, and you can do whatever you want with it, as long as you stay here in Saffron. Seems fair, doesn't it?" Petrel said slowly.

Almost like a lightbulb went off in her head, she smiled a little.

"Actually, you can have the Gym if you can handle it."

"What?" Gary shouted, looking at Sabrina like she had lost her mind. Ash felt the same way, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Well, uh... thanks!" Petrel stuttered.

"Alakazam, Hypnosis." Sabrina said quietly, and within seconds, the Rockets were asleep.

"Let's go now." she said cheerfully, and everyone felt like they were out of the loop as Mewtwo Teleported them to Cerulean.

* * *

Petrel grumbled under his breath as he walked through the Gym. The lights wouldn't turn on, and it was pitch black.

He stopped walking as soon as he saw the glowing red eyes.

_"Hauunnterrrr..." _a voice seemed to whisper. Petrel shook in pure terror.

Running for his life, the Executive hasn't returned to the "haunted Gym" since.

Saffron City fell that night, taken over by sheer numbers and force. The small amount of trainers there couldn't fight the power of Team Rocket, all of them falling to their strength.

Somewhere, Giovanni was smiling as another city fell under his control.


	21. Ash's Doppelganger (Not Really)

**Alright, I just realized that I haven't updated since 2014, so I post this with my deepest apologies!**

**rejettent : Je ne possède pas Pokèmon.**

* * *

Lance, with much persuasion, agreed to let Ash go rescue the Electric Pokèmon. The former Kanto Champion didn't really worry about the Pokèmon, but if Team Rocket didn't have the Power Plant, they could take it for their own purposes.

It would be a turning point in their strategy: They could cut the power to Vermillion and infiltrate their bases. With the panic of lost power, the guards wouldn't be ready for an attack, and they could possibly gain territory. At the very least, Vermillion could be shut down, and leave Giovanni with one less base to work with.

But when Ash and Gary didn't return, it was like a Worry Seed had hit them all. Mewtwo seemed to appear in the middle of the room (even though no one saw him leave) and tell them that the two rebels were in Rocket territory. Everyone knew what it meant: they were captured.

So after a bit of anger from Misty and some planning, Lance had an elaborate scheme to get the boys. It started like this:

\- Misty would go to the Power Plant and take out any remaining Rocket Grunts, and hopefully gaining some information about what had happened as well.

\- Will would locate their exact position with his psychic abilities.

\- Agatha would send one of her Gengars to knock out any guards in the surrounding area where they were.

\- Finally, Brock would sneak in and rescue them.

But Mewtwo ruined this plan with his obvious statement.

_Why don't I just Teleport there and bring them back? _he asked, and made Lance feel very foolish.

But, being the fierce leader he was, Lance agreed and sent Mewtwo to get them.

* * *

It had been 2 hours, and James was bored.

The Ex-Champion guy had ordered no one to leave the base until Mewtwo came back, which meant no missions, no adventures, not even a trip to the Pokèmart. Meowth, being the best with boring moments, suggested a few things, including playing a round of Truth or Dare, Would You Rather, Grass, Water, Fire (like Rock Paper Scissors), and Jumanji.

"We could write a new motto," Jessie said, and Misty slammed her head into the table angrily. That didn't stop them, though.

"Alright, let's start with the basics. Are we doing the 'Prepare for trouble' or something else?" James asked, and Meowth shook his head.

"Dat's our average motto. What if we meet an Executive? Or even da Boss himself? We need somethin' special!"

"Well, I have been saving a special line for an emergency in case we're discovered on a mission," James said, and the other two came close as they whispered their plans.

Half an hour later, they were grinning triumphantly as they got off the floor.

"Well leader twerp, we hate to go at such a boring time like this, but we have things to do." Jessie said.

"Yeah, we have things that need to be taken care of, and people to find." James added.

"Wait, you guys can't just-"

But Misty's words never reached the trio's ears as they disappeared.

"..leave." she sighed. A new feeling came over her. Not fear, not anger, but a strange impulse.

Glancing at Brock, she mouthed sorry as she ran after Ex-Team Rocket. The Pokèmon Doctor got up out of his chair, but just smiled as he sat down again. He was a getting a little old for running after adventures like he did before.

Lance merely groaned with his head in his hands as the four people just left without so much as a warning.

No one noticed the electric rodent follow the redhead quietly.

* * *

Silver knew that when he revealed himself to the Rockets, he wouldn't be leaving the base for a while.

Knowing Giovanni well, he had snuck into Viridian and quietly forced his way into the Gym. The Gym was a reminder of power for the Rocket Boss, and one of his main hideouts.

Underground in the hidden tunnels, Silver had almost found what he was looking for: information on where Giovanni was hiding. He foolishly decided to go deeper into the base, and that's when he saw Ash.

There where three others with him, but that didn't register. All Silver really thought was that his plan had just gone down the drain, because now he had four people to help escape the hidden base. So, without any planning at all, he released Weavile and destroyed the Executive's Pokèmon. Ariana looked at him with the deepest loathing, and then something even weirder happened.

A giant purple thing resembling a cat and a monster under your bed appeared out of nowhere, it's body glowing blue as Ash and his partner recalled their Pokèmon not a moment too soon as they disappeared.

So now Silver was stuck staring at Ariana with his cover blown and his whole plan destroyed by a nuclear bomb as his mind tried to come up with some insane plan that would get him out of there because he had no other options.

"Alright, Gyrados, let's go!" he shouted, releasing the shiny beast from it's Pokèball.

"Weavile, go in front of me and use Blizzard! Gyrados, cover my back and use Hyper Beam! Try to destroy as much as you can!" he said urgently, and the two Pokèmon were swift; Weavile freezing the Grunts solid as Silver ran, and Gyrados attacking the ceiling as rubble started to crumble and fall. The underground tunnels were collapsing quickly.

Recalling Gyrados, Silver hastily dashed up flight after flight of stairs as Weavile stopped freezing them.

He got out into the cool Viridian air, and just in time as the Viridian Gym seemed to shift and sink into the ground. Running into the bushes, he saw four unusual colours of hair among the Grunts outside.

_So the Execs got out? Too bad, a few of them gone would have been a nice bonus. _the teen thought. Recalling his Weavile, he felt the strange feeling like he was being watched.

* * *

He knew he was supposed to wait for Ash, but he felt that his trainer needed him. So he had left Pallet Town, wandering Route 1. After a long time and a cold night, he was in a big city. He was sure that he'd been there before, but it felt so _different, _he couldn't shake off the bad feeling he got from it.

Trying not to be spotted, he walked through the city, avoiding people and ducking in alleys when a person in black walked by. He had almost been found by one, and the unmistakable 'R' on their shirt in red told him exactly who he was dealing with.

He had actually ended up in some bushes and was about to sleep for the night when a red haired boy dropped in front of him.

"Huh?" the teen said, surprised at the company he had.

"Bulbasaur..." the Grass type said slowly.

"I would really appreciate it if you could be quiet!" the guy hissed in a whisper. I was silent, but still not liking the teen.

He wasn't as good at it as Pikachu, but decided to try and look like Ash. Maybe the guy knew him.

He used his vines to make a hat and tried to look strong. The guy looked extremely confused.

"What, are you looking for your trainer?" he asked in a hushed voice. Bulbasaur nodded.

"Bulb! Bulba!" he said quickly. Then he tried again to look like Ash. His vines became squiggles on his cheeks and his face looked victorious like his trainer did after winning a Badge.

"Um, did he challenge the Gym?" Silver asked. Again, the Grass type nodded his head.

"Do you know where he is now?" Silver asked. It was like playing 20 questions, except his partner didn't speak anything he could understand.

"Bulbasaur..." the Pokèmon thought, before trying his last idea. He sat on his back legs and his vines made a zigzag behind him. He stuck his little arms up high like ears and did his best to look like a Pikachu.

"Bulbasaur!" he cheered, forgetting about the need for quiet.

"Over there! I heard something!" some Grunt yelled, and Silver and Bulbasaur jumped up. Silver had an odd thought: was this Ash's Bulbasaur?

""Run!" he told the starter, but, stubborn as always, he shook his head and leaped out of the bushes.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" he yelled, and started to absorb what little sunlight there still was in the sky.

"What the-" but the guy was cut off as a Solarbeam nearly hit him.

Gently scooping up the rebellious Pokèmon, Silver ran, trying not to be spotted by a Rocket as he went.

* * *

**I hope this makes up for the long wait, or at least makes you feel a little better. **

**PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO VOTE ON THE POLL.**** *uses death glare* (It should be super effective!)**

**Thanks to the three that did!**

**Bye,**

**Ty8**


	22. Pikachu Power!

**This chapter will show a lot about Team Rocket's rise to power, Team Rocket's- scratch that, Giovanni's plan, Silver escaping the city with Bulbasaur and Ash and his friends as they left Saffron. Why? Because I feel like it and this is something that should make everyone feel better.**

**Disclaimer:**** Not mine in 2014, not mine in 2015. Yet...**

* * *

Viridian City was a great place to live and raise a family.

The city was alive with colour and noises, people chattering and shopping, as well as trainers getting their final badge and hopefully going to the Pokèmon League.

That was in the daylight.

By night, it was a completely different city with danger at every corner. Homeless people were sleeping in the alleys, drunks wandered the streets yelling blue streaks at passing cars, gangs were attacking people without any motives and robberies happened too often to count.

So when Madame Boss came there hoping to start "a simple business to benefit Viridian", she knew that the place would be perfect to begin her real plan: creating the biggest crime syndicate Kanto had ever seen.

She stated by recruiting people. She would send the few people she had already to the Pokèmon League, where they'd pick up trainers that had given up on ever defeating the Elite Four. Her members would suggest something else, something where their potential could be used for something worthwhile. They could join Team Rocket and help change Kanto for the better.

Recruits came in faster than she'd thought they would. The League had crushed the dreams of many aspiring "Pokèmon Masters" and they felt like they couldn't do anything useful in the world if they weren't working towards their dream. So Team Rocket trained them into cold, brutal fighters who could follow orders.

As soon as she could, Madame Boss started sending her Rockets out into the darkness of Viridian City to eradicate any gangs that wouldn't join her new society. The few that did joined her ranks and the ones that didn't quickly became a threat no longer.

Then she began her second part: stealing Pokèmon. Now that the gangs were gone, her plan began to really unfold. Her first step was getting one of her own into the Viridian Gym as a referee. There, they could scout for strong trainers and warn the Rockets nearby. Whether the trainer won the badge or not, their Pokèmon were usually powerhouses that Team Rocket wanted. So they began stealing Pokèmon from trainers, slowly getting themselves a reputation.

Within a few years Team Rocket were known across Kanto, yet the Officer Jennys could never find their base. The Viridian City Gym Leader retired and Madame Boss got the position, being a respected trainer in the city. Team Rocket began to spread their forces, developing more bases and growing larger with the many new recruits. Things couldn't be better.

Then _he _can along. Her weak, good-for-nothing child who couldn't win a battle to save his own skin. Giovanni was an interesting boy, becoming friends with a Meowth on the street and not caring about his mother's orginization at all. But that changed when Madame Boss passed away, leaving Team Rocket to her only son.

Giovanni's dream was to be Champion of the Pokèmon League and have friends. Not just people like the Grunts that cowered in fear but people who really wanted to be with him. But that changed when he became head of Team Rocket. Something inside him changed, and he became an emotionless person that only cared about three things: power, money, and his Persian.

He wanted power, and became obsessed with Legendary Pokèmon. The very thought of Pokèmon stronger than normal ones made his heart race with excitement. He sent Rockets out across Kanto to search for them. But it was many years later when he found a file labeled 'Top Secret', long forgotten by his mother when she gave up on the idea.

It was full of information about Mew, the ancestor of all Pokèmon. Sightings, it's moveset, possible Abilities, and how much power it could have. Giovanni had already known about Mew, heck, he'd created a Mew clone, but something clicked in his head that day. He didn't need a clone, he needed _Mew_.

* * *

Silver knew Viridian well, the city being a place he spent a while before he started to roam Kanto looking for-

_Never mind. Thats not important, _he told himself and focused on his surroundings. He was currently across from the former Boss headquarters. Madame Boss was a respected woman, and was Gym Leader before Giovanni was.

Pulling out his PokèGear, he checked the map. He was close to the city limits and Viridian Forest, he just needed to go a bit east and find Crobat street. From there he just had to walk forward and knock out a few Rocket guards and he'd be out of here, no problem.

"Bulbasaur?"

_Right._

He had to do something with the Bulbasaur. Silver really didn't want to take it with him, it wasn't a very fast Pokèmon and couldn't learn any really strong moves until it evolved, but it couldn't turn into Ivysaur until the special ceremony in the spring, and that was about six or seven months away, and couldn't turn into Venusaur unless it evolved into Ivysaur. There were rare cases where Bulbasaur evolved without the ceremony, but it was unlikely to happen in his case. He just met the little guy.

"Listen," he said, placing the Grass type on the cold pavement. "I can't take you with me. I need to get out of here quickly, and Bulbasaurs aren't very fast. Plus you're not very strong until you're at least an Ivysaur. My team is all fully evolved Pokèmon, and we know each other. I just met you. I wish you luck with finding your trainer, but we have to split up."

_Why does it feel like a really awkward breakup?_

The teen sighed. "I gotta go. Be safe." he said, and turned away from the Pokèmon.

Bulbasaur looked at him, and without hesitation, wrapped a vine tightly around his leg as he started to run and pulled it out from under him, watching as Silver slammed hard on the sidewalk. He wasn't a really good listener like Noctowl, but he was pretty sure that something got badly hurt because he heard a crack.

Silver felt the grip on him and knew in a few seconds of time that it was not a goodbye or a hopeful grasp as the Grass type grabbed him. He had a feeling that the Bulbasaur wouldn't agree with splitting up, and when he crashed into the ground, the feeling was confirmed.

His nose was bleeding, so it might have broke. Sitting up, the teen turned around to look at Bulbasaur, who looked guilty and irritated at the same time.

"Bulba Bulbasaur!" the plant yelled at him, upset.

Bulbasaur didn't want to be here in Viridian City with all the Rockets, and that clicked somewhere in Silver.

"Fine. Let's go."

* * *

Proton was once again sent out to find the stupid Ketchum brat. Giovanni stopped caring whether he was alive or dead though, so it made things much easier for the Executive. He could snap his fingers and his Crobat could sink fangs so poisonous into him that he'd be dead in seconds.

He knew he was close, for sure. Petrel, who recently saw them in Saffron, said that they couldn't get far as tired as they were. He said that they might get as far as Lavender, so here Proton was on Route 8, sitting behind the large trees that hid hime from view as he waited for his targets.

He sighed; Petrel was right as a small group appeared on the road, confused.

"Why are we here? I thought we were going back to Cerulean?" the brown haired teen asked, and a smirk appeared on Proton's face.

_Their base is in Cerulean, after all. Good to know for my next move after I get rid of these guys._

"Mewtwo is too weak. I would have teleported us all but my mind was preoccupied. We should let him rest in Lavender and then I'll take us to Cerulean." Sabrina said. Proton recognized her from the Saffron City Gym. She must have finally taken a side.

"Thanks for your help Sabrina, but I'm not going back to Cerulean." Ketchum said, and the brown haired woman looked upset.

"What? Why not?" she asked in a worried tone.

Proton decided to step in.

"Maybe because I'm going to take you out." he said, and immediately the brown kid and Ketchum grabbed Pokèballs and prepared to battle.

"Back off if you know what's good for you." the brunette said, and his partner laughed.

"Yeah, Gary, like the Rocket Executives ever do what's best for them. They're all like Mareep, and Gio's their trainer. They just do whatever he tells them to."

Proton scowled, enlarging his own Pokèball and tossing it. His Crobat came out in a bright flash.

"Poison Fang!" he yelled, and his bat flew at Ash with it's poisonous fangs looking deadly in the lingering darkness.

He wasn't expecting the claw to reach out and grab his Pokèmon. Whipping his head around, he stared at the huge claw connected to the giant Pikachu like everyone else.

The shock hit Ash like a Thunderbolt from his Pikachu as a voice in the mecha started to talk.

_"Prepare for trouble because the thieving trio is finally here," _Misty said in her best Team Rocket imitation.

_"And make it double 'cause they're not going to disappear!" _she finished with a grin.

The Pikachu's head opened up and three figures rose from it on a platform, their appearances hidden in the shadows.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie shouted.

"To unite the peoples within our nation." James added.

"To denounce the ideals of Team Rocket and put them right," Jessie said, spinning on the spot, her magenta hair shining.

"To help stop our old Boss's never-ending fight!" James tossed in, coming closer to Jessie as the finale came close.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off bad guys at the speed of light!" Jessie yelled, dancing into place.

"Surrender now or prepare for an electrifying fight!" James finished as he leaned next to her.

"Meowth, that's right!" the Scratch Cat Pokèmon shouted as he flipped backwards and landed in a final pose with his team.

Then a voice Ash hadn't heard in a while joined in, calling out from inside the mecha, his voice amplified by the microphone.

_"PIKACHU!"_

"Pikachu?" Ash yelled, and Gary looked surprised as well. Proton growled.

"Release my Crobat immediately!" he shouted, and Jessie, who was now inside the mecha with the trio, laughed.

_"What do we look like, idiots?" _she asked.

No one answered.

_"Fine! Then we'll show you da power of our Pikachu-Lightning-Powered-Super-Duper-Mega-Mecha-Mark-One!"_ Meowth shouted, and the Pikachu lowered it's head and raised it's tail straight up. A sizzle was heard, followed by the crackle of electricity as a power-boosted Thunderbolt shot from the mecha's tail, destroying the ground in front of Proton. The Executive had backed up seconds before it hit and was luckily unscathed.

"Crobat! Use Air Cutter!" he called out, but as soon as Crobat powered up it's attack, a shock came through the mecha and fried the bat, knocking it out.

Pikachu's other arm (which looked nothing like a Pikachu's arm when it stretched forward) grabbed Ash, Gary, Sabrina, Delia and Professor Oak and pulled them towards one of Pikachu's cheeks, which opened and they all somehow climbed in.

Once inside, Ash spotted Misty with a smile on her face standing next to Pikachu, who was connected to a generator.

"Misty? Why are you... in a Team Rocket mecha?" he asked, confused. She rolled her eyes.

"I had to do something to help you out besides sitting and waiting for your return, so when Jessie, James and Meowth left the Gym, I followed, Pikachu tailing me." she said, and he smiled.

The mecha shook, and James was suddenly beside them.

"We're glad you're here, but right now we have a Weezing attacking us and we need another attack." he said quickly.

"Okay Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, full power!" Ash commanded, and the mecha electrocuted Weezing easily.

"Perfect! Let's get going!" Jessie said from the front of the mecha and Meowth nodded, pulling a few levers from his chair.

"Dis will be a piece of cake!" the cat said, and they began stomping away from Proton, releasing his Crobat from the mecha's grip as the Pikachu walked towards Lavender Town.

"So, where are we going now?" Misty asked, and for some reason, every head turned to Ash.

_I'm in charge now._

* * *

**Alright, I hope this was good for you guys. I had it planned from when the trio decided to prepare something special that they'd build a mecha. I thought it would be fun. **

**Questions or comments are welcomed. Reviews are encouraged. **

**Bye bye,**

**Ty8**

**ATTENTION! NEXT UPDATE: 2/13/15**


	23. Gengars, Ghosts, and Pikachus?

**Alright, I did promise, so here it is, chapter 23. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Pokèmon. If I did, everyone in the world would be catching Pokèmon on their journeys right now while I was Champion of the Sinnoh and Johto Pokèmon Leagues because they rule. Kit can have Hoenn and Kanto, Cindy gets Unova and ****QUEENSPELLER67 can have Kalos because I'm nice. Sorry to those other people, but I will always need Elite Four! **

**Is it just me or did this get off topic? Whatever. ^_^**

* * *

_"So where are we going now?"_

For a few minutes, Ash felt a little different. He felt like a real leader. Not like when he was in charge while playing "Follow the Leader" or when he was commanding his Pokèmon in battle. This felt like a whole other feeling.

"Uh..." he said, but his mind quickly told him to focus. Finally, he could decide, and he shouldn't waste this opportunity.

"Fuchsia City." Ash said, and the others nodded.

"Da twerp has spoken, so let's get goin'!" Meowth called out, and they were off.

* * *

"You aren't allowed past this point. I don't care if Ariana did send you, I only take orders from the Boss." the grunt said stiffly.

"Fine. But if Team Rocket Executive Ariana comes down here and wants to know why her most trusted assistant isn't allowed to travel through the Viridian Forest and can't complete his mission, it'll be you she'll be looking at next time Giovanni decides to make cuts."

Saying Giovanni's name seemed to have a better effect on the newbie. The teen didn't know who was and who wasn't a Rocket, and that worked well for Silver. He felt a little bad for scaring the guy because it was obvious that he joined so he would be safe from the threat of Team Rocket as they attacked more and more people and stole their Pokèmon.

He could have used random names and the Grunt wouldn't have noticed. He stepped aside and Silver motioned for Bulbasaur to follow. After fixing his nose and cleaning his face, he agreed to take the Grass type with him. Silver would never say it, but the little guy wasn't too bad with his vines.

They walked past the Grunt and stumbled through the tall grass as they wandered towards Viridian Forest. Last time he was here, there were Rockets everywhere, and they'd definitely know who he was, so he'd have to be careful. Silver also remembered a lot of bugs, at least double the amount of Rockets.

When the trees started to get closer together, Bulbasaur knew they were there. He recognized the smell of pine and the faint sounds of Pikachu scurrying up trees.

But there was a sound Bulbasaur didn't remember. A voice coming from a nearby tree.

"Bulba." he mumbled to the red haired teen, who reached slowly for a Pokèball.

With amazing reflexes, the Seed Pokèmon had shot a Razor Leaf at the nearest tree's branches, slicing a number of them off, and a man fell from them and landed hard on the forest floor.

"Sleep Powder." Silver said quietly, and Bulbasaur released a blue-green powder that had the Grunt to fall asleep instantly.

He had made sure that Bulbasaur could pull the move off so that if they ran into trouble, he could do things the easy way without any real violence because he wasn't in the mood and his Pokèmon need their energy. By the time they were awake, Silver would be far away and Giovanni wouldn't be able to find him without going into Rebel territory, which was Silver's destination. He planned to travel through Pewter, hide in Mt. Moon for a few day before moving on to Cerulean and then going around Saffron to Celadon. His goal was to find the safest place possible to plan out an attack and hopefully not be interrupted by Ash.

"Saur Bulbasaur!" the Grass type said, and Silver forced himself back into reality. He needed to get through the forest.

"Bulbasaur!" the Seed Pokèmon shouted, and Silver looked at him.

"What? What's the big-" he stopped short, seeing the Spinarak on his shoulder.

"Yuck!" he yelled, and shook it off, watching the spider scurry to it's nest. The red haired teen shivered a little. He didn't like Spinarak.

* * *

The people in Lavender Town have been known to believe in a number of things. Ghosts, Ghost Pokèmon, possessed people and vengeful spirits. But once you've seen a giant Pikachu, you've seen it all.

Mewtwo seemed exhausted. He was slouched against the wall of the mecha and his eyes were half-open. He was probably using some of his power to look around him, but he certainly couldn't battle in his condition.

"Do we stop at the Pokèmon Centre?" Gary asked, and Ash shrugged.

"Does a Pokèmon Centre know how to heal a Mew clone?" he replied, and no one had an answer.

The Pikachu stopped in front of the Centre, scaring a few Pidgeys out of their wits. Misty lead Ash and Gary down the main stairs to the bottom, where they exited through one of the Pikachu mecha's feet. People were staring at them as they walked into the Pokèmon Centre.

"Are you sure that Team Rocket isn't in Lavender Town?" Misty asked Gary quietly, who nodded.

"Positive. Can you imagine Rocket grunts watching over a haunted town?" he replied, and the redhead giggled. Ash walked up to Nurse Joy.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked her, and she looked confused.

"Yes, but why do you ask?" the pink haired woman inquired.

"I have a rare Psychic Pokèmon that I haven't caught with me. He doesn't like people much so he's waiting in the giant Pikachu outside. He's really tired and needs help regaining his energy. Can you help him without drawing too much attention?"

"Of course! I always help Pokèmon in need. Give me a few minutes to get some supplies and find Chansey to cover for me and I'll come help." Nurse Joy said quickly without any signs of uncertainty. She turned towards a pair of doors while she grabbed some supplies.

She came back a few minutes later with a white case with a little plus sign on it and followed Ash as he led the way. As he left he noticed a Chansey take over the front desk. Someone inside the mecha must have spotted him outside with Nurse Joy because they opened the door and Ash walked in through the foot again, Nurse joy following. She was kind enough not to ask questions about where the giant Pikachu came from.

Finally reaching the top of the stairwell, Ash pointed Nurse Joy in the direction of Mewtwo and a flicker of shock flashed across her face before she walked over.

"He's been using his powers non-stop. What did you do to push him like this?" she asked with her disapproving voice. Ash had a brief reminder of his first day training with Pikachu and Nurse Joy looking a little upset that he'd let Pikachu get injured like that.

Feeling awkward, he stumbled on his words, trying to find an excuse that didn't relate to them being part of the rebellion or their many fights with Team Rocket.

"Uh, you see, I was training with my Pokèmon and they ran off when some wild Pokèmon attacked and I asked my Psychic Pokèmon Mewtwo to find them."

Nurse Joy didn't seem very convinced, but she let it slide.

"Well, your Mewtwo should be okay as long as he rests and eats a few Petaya Berries to regain strength. I'd suggest staying here for a bit."

Slightly put-out, Ash sighed.

"Thanks for your help Nurse Joy." he said, and showed her the way out. He wouldn't admit it and his face wouldn't show it, but he was slightly happy that they couldn't move on. It gave him some time to figure out how he was going to get his mom and Professor Oak back to Cerulean.

* * *

_It's too quiet. Far too quiet. Suspiciously quiet._

Silver tiptoed through the tall grasses as he tried to be as silent as possible. He hadn't seen any Grunts since the first one, and it made him uneasy. Even Bulbasaur looked on edge. Fallen leaves crunched under their feet as the two got closer to the exit. Silver's cautious demeanour shifted into a worried one as the trees became fewer. It felt too easy, that only one person would be watching the large forest. Surely someone would be there, right?

He wasn't sure if the sight he saw made him feel better or worse as they emerged on Route 2 and spotted the horde of Rocket Grunts and Alliance forces in a staring contest with each other.

* * *

**Alright, this probably came out when many of you people were getting sleepy, but I had important things to do. Happy Friday the 13th! Are you suffering from t****riskaidekaphobia?**

**Bye-bye,**

**Typhlosion8**


	24. Rocket Territory & Ditching Pikachu

**I'm sorry if this is barely making my minimum of 1,500 but I've had a lot going on this past week. So tired...**

**Disclaimer:**** Hello there to my readers. I'm Ty8, welcoming you to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" First up, I'll start this off by saying that I do not own Pokèmon because Kit stole it. :-P **

**Chapter 24 was promised, so here it is. Chapter 25 will be out by 2/27/15, and if it's not, feel free to attack me with flames and threatening PMs. Actually, don't really attack me, I'm allergic to angry readers. Less than 2 week 'til my birthday! I'm freaking out! Don't ask how old, it's rude to ask women that. **

_**.: I CAN'T WAIT! :.**_

**Thanks for listening, and like always, stay tuned!**

* * *

"Mom, I don't want you coming with me. It's dangerous and I can't let you be there. If you're hurt I'll never forgive myself."

Delia nodded. She disagreed about it, but her Ash was right. It wasn't the same world out there. Pokèmon and their trainers are more vicious now than ever and Ash cared about her.

Gary was trying to explain the same thing to Professor Oak. The Professor was his only family left, and he wanted him to be safe. Sabrina had agreed to teleport them, but not very enthusiastically. You could tell that she wanted to be a part of their group.

Mewtwo was looking a little better, actually able to watch them with his icy gaze that could make anyone freeze in their tracks. The psychic even looked a little purpler, if that was possible.

One more embarrassing hug (and an awkward reminder for Ash to change his you-know-what's every day) , and the trio was gone, leaving Ash, Misty, Gary and the former Team Rocket duo alone in the mecha with a purple legendary Pokèmon, a super-powered Pikachu and a talking Meowth.

* * *

Silver could see the two sides easily.

Team Rocket was in their well-known black, their red _**R **_standing out on their uniform and their tiny black caps barely fitting on their heads.

The Alliance soldiers were unusual, their uniforms not having a particular colour or order. They wore random shirts and skirts and pants ranging from dress shirts and kimonos to crop tops and capris. Their symbol was a simple Pokèball design in red and white outlined in black. It looked unoriginal, but it spoke numbers for those who wore it. It showed your side.

The shirt colours represented their type. In ways, it was revealing to the enemy what type of Pokèmon you specialized in, but in other ways it was helpful to know who used what Pokèmon when fighting alongside them. If your Electric type was about to be knocked out with an Earthquake, signal a trainer in light blue and their Flying type would swoop in for a rescue. If your Vulpix was about to be hit with a Hydro Pump, motion to a dark blue trainer and hopefully their Water type would absorb the attack.

It was rumoured that the reason behind the unorganized uniforms might have been that making uniforms for every trainer that joined the cause would have been time and money consuming, but the more likely reason was that a trainer was free to wear anything they wanted to and be themselves.

Silver had to hold Bulbasaur tightly when the little plant spotted the Rockets. He obviously didn't like them.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur! Saur!" he yelled as they dove into a bush.

"I get! you don't like Team Rocket. But this isn't your battle. Wouldn't you rather fight them with your trainer?" Silver asked. His words felt deep, unlike how he'd usually talk. They were without the coldness he usually had or the emotionless appearance. For some reason, he cared about Bulbasaur.

If he listened, he could here the voices of the Pewter City Gym Leader and a Rocket as they spoke.

"You will not have Pewter City." Forrest said, and the Grunt laughed, along with the other Rockets.

"Why won't we? Team Rocket gets what it wants, and if we can take Pewter, Mt. Moon is not far behind it. Give up." he said in an evil, merciless voice.

"The Alliance stays strong against any foes. We don't have much territory, but we do have something you don't."

"Yeah?" the Grunt scoffed. "What?"

"The love and trust of our Pokèmon. You may be strong, but in the heat of battle, your Pokèmon will give up and we will stand victorious with our own Pokèmon and bonds stronger than you'll ever have with yours." Forrest said, and a signal came from somewhere, because bright flashes revealed different Pokèmon leaping into battle.

Pokèmon cries were drowning out almost everything. Silver tried to make his way around the battle royal, but was soon stopped by a Houndoom that growled with a menacing voice that would have made strong trainers turn away, but not the red haired teen. He put Bulbasaur down.

"You don't want to attack me." he said coldly. The Grunt chuckled.

"Please. Your tiny shrub won't last a second in this fight." he replied, and a silent agreement passed between Bulbasaur and Silver.

_This idiot won't be a problem for long._

"Razor Leaf!" Silver said, and the sharp leaves whisked at a speed faster than the eye could see and sliced at Houndoom. The Dark Pokèmon yelped in pain.

"You need to be taken out. Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

The flames grazed Bulbasaur, but the Seed Pokèmon was able to avoid most of the damage by dodging to the left. A vine shot out and wrapped around Houndoom's back leg and pulled it face first into the hard ground.

The sky was dull and clouded, but that didn't prevent the Solar Beam attack from knocking out Houndoom easily and Bulbasaur and Silver from emerging from the battle without a scratch.

The Rocket scurried away to find a weaker trainer, and Bulbasaur led the way, hitting the occasional Golbat or Crobat with a Leech Seed to help their opponents defeat them that much faster.

* * *

They would have gotten much farther with the Pikachu mecha if Route 12 had an actual road instead of the planks that made up the walkway over the water. As idiotic as the ex-Team Rocket trio was sometimes, it didn't take a genius to know that Pikachus didn't swim well and that a wooden path over the ocean would probably not hold their weight.

"Our closest town is Vermillion, also known as Rocket territory. We probably can't make it there in this thing anyway." Misty grumbled. Gary sighed.

"Walking on foot there though would be risky. Team Rocket is everywhere, and walking close to their territory could put us in danger of being caught. We're stuck." he said and everyone was silent until one of Ash's crazy schemes popped into his mind.

"Unless we just walk in there with the Pikachu mecha."

"What?" Misty asked, finally believing that Ash had lost it.

"Think about it guys! They would never expect Alliance rebels to just march into their territory, so if we tell them that the mecha is just a new project Giovanni's told us to work on, they'll go along with it! We can abandon it in Vermillion after making sure that it's impossible for them to activate again and walk towards Saffron. we can walk along the city edges and work our way around to Celadon City and then just ride the Cycling Road to Fuchsia City!" he exclaimed, and for a moment, everyone was silent again.

"Let's go for it. I'm with the twerp." James said, interrupting the quiet.

"The plan does have it's merits." Jessie agreed, and Meowth nodded.

"Fine. Why not?" Gary said, slightly lightheartedly, and Misty groaned but seemed to be okay with it as well.

* * *

The Saffron City Gym Leader appeared in front of the Cerulean City Gym with her companions, her long hair still perfectly straight.

The three people walked in and sat on the bleachers in the battle area. Misty had said that the Gym was where everyone else was, but she hadn't given any specific directions.

"How long will we be waiting here?" Sabrina grumbled. Delia shrugged.

"It's anyone's guess," she said, smiling. That didn't help the psychic's mood at all.

* * *

"Let me get this straight. The Boss is working on a giant _Pikachu_ mecha?"

James, in another one of his amazing costumes, nodded gruffly.

"Yes. The Boss wanted something different from the usual mechas." he replied in a monotone voice.

"I don't remember the Boss mentioning a Pikachu mecha project." the Grunt said suspiciously.

"Uh, well, maybe that's because your rank is too low to be given the classified specifics of the mecha, unlike me, one of the main engineers."

The Rocket looked slightly hurt.

"If you let me through without too much trouble, I could be... persuaded to put in a good word for you with Giovanni." James said quietly, and the Grunt nodded quickly and even did a little salute.

"Of course, sir. Do you need my ID?"

"No, I know who you are. I know all the Grunts. It was an important part of my job to know who everyone was. You have three Pokèmon, a... Raticate, Golbat and Koffing, correct?"

"Yes sir. Would you like to get through now?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." James said, and the Pikachu mecha was allowed into Vermillion.

_"How did you know that?" _Misty asked the purple haired rebel through the tiny earpiece.

"Most Grunts have basic Pokèmon, usually a combination of Raticate, Golbat, Arbok, Koffing and Houndour. I just guessed." he replied.

It was agreed that James would be the "Rocket" escorting the Pikachu mecha through the gates. He wasn't very recognizable because of his low ranking when he was a member. If asked about how it moved, he would say that his partner was inside controlling it. Jessie was in her own costume if she was needed outside.

"This might actually work. Sorry I doubted you, Ashy-boy." Gary admitted, but Ash nodded.

"I understand. It is a risky move, but we might just pull it off."

* * *

**I was so worried that I wouldn't finish!**

**My problem is that I keep reading other stories instead of writing. But I put up my update schedule on my profile at the top, so if you're wondering about my other stories, check it. IMDH will be still updating weekly.**

**Hope everyone like this. I will repeat this if anyone missed it in the first AN at the top. **

_**Next update: 2/27/15**_

**Goodbye for now,**

**Typhlosion8**


	25. How Did This All Happen In One Chapter?

**Hello and welcome back to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" I'm your jubilant host, Ty8, and I'd like to present the much awaited Chapter 25! _Fun Facts:_ That is also known as 25%, 1/4, and the first Quarter Quell.**

**Before we get to that, though, I'd like to remind everyone that my chapters are always 1,500 or more. Because I'm in such a good mood, I'll _DOUBLE_ that number today. Yeah, you did your math right. 3,000 words or more today. If you got a different answer, go back to your X2 multiplication. Last thing, I'm already starting a new update schedule again. From now on, I'll be updating on Mondays instead of Fridays. Next update will be 3/2/15, so I hope you're eager!  
**

**And now, Chapter 25!**

* * *

Things were going smoothly. They were on Route 11 now, and from their view in the mecha, Diglett's Cave wasn't too far away. Pikachu was looking a little tired as he powered the generator, but when Ash asked him if he needed a break, the little mouse stubbornly shook his head.

They were so close to Vermillion now, but that thought was halted like the mecha as they stopped in front of 1014.1 pounds of stomach. The Snorlax was sleeping peacefully, like a baby. Except babies could wake up much easier than a Snorlax did.

"Uh, try a light Thunderbolt?" Ash suggested. Pikachu released electricity and the Pikachu mecha shot it at Snorlax, but all that seemed to do was cause the sleeping giant to roll onto his side.

"SSSSSNNNNOOOOORRRRRRLLLLLLLAAAAXXXX..." it mumbled loudly as it slept, hurting everyone's ears. James climbed back into the mecha and looked confused.

"How are we going to get around it?" he asked.

"Dis Pikachu mecha will climb over dat snorin' brute easily!" Meowth said confidently as he pushed buttons and pulled on levers furiously.

Somehow, the Pikachu's leg started to go up and looked like it might do it, until Snorlax use Snore.

"Snorrrr!" he sleep talked, and everyone nearly fell as the mecha shook with the power of the sound waves.

"Can't we just walk around it?" Misty asked.

Jessie shook her head. "You can't do that. We have to get past it because it's an obstacle!"

"Says who?" Misty grumbled, but stayed silent as the others continued to try and solve the problem.

"We'll have to move it!" Ash said. Gary shook his head.

"It's impossible to move a Snorlax when they're asleep. Those things can weigh over 460.0 kilograms! The only known way to wake them is by using a PokèFlute, and we don't have one." the researcher replied.

"Then what do we do?" Ash asked, and no one had an answer.

* * *

Getting through Mt. Moon was easier than sneaking around Pewter City. The place was well guarded. Even though most of the Alliance was fighting on Route 2, over two dozen were still watching the borders of Pewter, making it hard not to be caught. Silver didn't want to have to answer any questions. It would just make everything more complex.

Mt. Moon was 3487 feet of rock, home to one of the rarest Pokèmon, Clefairy. There were three main levels and if you followed the main path, it wasn't too hard to navigate, but if you took any one of the many side tunnels, you'd end up in a maze of never-ending paths leading to many things, the best being a nest of dangerous wild Pokèmon and the worst being an underground river current that could drag you into a early watery grave or a chamber that could be filled with poisonous gas.

It would have been easy to get through if Silver hadn't run into those idiotic Rocket Grunts.

He and Bulbasaur were almost halfway through the cave when a Crobat blocked their path. Since wild Crobat weren't native to the mountain, it was a suspicious sight.

"Crobat!" the bat screech. A Grunt came up from behind it, a scar marking his face going diagonally from his right ear to his chin.

"I don't think you have permission to go through this mountain. Mt. Moon is close to becoming part of Team Rocket's territory," he smirked.

Two other Grunts popped up behind Silver, one looking scrawny and the other one having rippling muscles.

A Houndoom appeared out of nowhere, sinking it's flaming fangs into Bulbasaur's hind leg. The starter cried out as the Burn took affect.

"Arrrrbok!" the snake hissed as it slithered around them and back to the two Rockets behind Silver.

"Let us go or I'll-" Silver started, but the Rockets cut him off.

What?" the muscled Grunt laughed. "You'll send your 'Pokèmon friends' to fight the meanies?" he mocked.

"Yes, I will." Silver said coldly, tossing a Pokèball to reveal his Feraligatr.

"Aqua Tail on Houndoom! Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf on Crobat!" he shouted, and the two Pokèmon leaped into battle. Feraligatr's Aqua Tail knocked Arbok down, but the snake managed to get up, flashing it's fangs. Bulbasaur aimed a Razor Leaf at Crobat, but only shot a few leaves before it fell to the ground in pain.

The burn was sapping his strength quickly. Houndoom had some powerful Fire attacks, but Silver assumed that the stories were exaggerated. Seeing how quickly Bulbasaur was weakened, though, sent a jolt of worry through him.

"Weavile, you too!" he said as he sent out his faithful Ice/Dark type. He didn't even need to command his team after so long, because they worked flawlessly on their own, slowly destroying the Rocket's Pokèmon as they sent out backup. Silver picked Bulbasaur up gently and held him.

"We'll fix you at the Pokèmon Centre." he whispered. A part of him felt foolish for growing attached to the Bulbasaur that wasn't even his own.

If only he had only noticed it then, the chaos wouldn't have happened.

* * *

"Surf! Finish it!" he yelled, and the wave rose high before it fell down at Arbok, threatening to wrap itself around the dog. The Rockets had all lost, except for the leader's Pokèmon, a large Arbok, bigger than any normal one. It was down to the final battle, and Silver was rushing to finish it so he could get Bulbasaur some help. He never really stocked up on medical supplies because he'd always assumed that he wouldn't need any, but now he was paying the price.

With a signal, the Poison Pokèmon dodged, and the water hit the wall. A roar seemed to come from the mountain itself as the force of the water broke down the wall, causing a chain reaction.

Eyes widening, Silver recalled his Pokèmon and jumped over Arbok, shoving past the Rockets as the shaking started. He felt the mountain move, rocks crumbling. He'd hit a part of the wall supporting the mountain, and yells from the trio far behind him as they were buried seemed to reach deaf ears. All Silver could think about was finding the exit before it disappeared.

Running, he hurried across the ground, and part of it crumbled away below his feet and he began to slide, Bulbasaur gripped tightly in his left arm and his right one trying to grab onto a wall, a rock, anything, but couldn't as he went deeper and deeper into Mt. Moon, a place you should always stay on path when exploring.

* * *

Ash was outside of the Pikachu mecha with his Pokèmon, trying to figure out a solution.

"Okay, what if Croconaw uses Hydro Pump to lift Snorlax, and then Charizard could try and hold up Snorlax long enough for us to get past it?" he suggested.

They had no other ideas, so everyone got in position. Croconaw looked eager to go, and Charizard seemed to be doubting that he could hold up a a Snorlax.

"Alright, use Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted, and a torrent of water came from Croconaw, aimed straight at Snorlax. The water didn't do much, though. It pushed Snorlax a little to the side, but not into the air.

"Uh, try lifting up Snorlax Charizard?" Ash said, slightly disappointed. The orange dragon tried, but his arms didn't even reach around the sleeping Pokèmon!

_At this rate, you'll never do it. Let me try._

Ash's head whipped around to see Mewtwo standing nearby, his hand glowing. Soon, Snorlax was glowing too, and Ash quickly recalled his team and climbed back into the Pikachu mecha as Snorlax levitated into the air. Mewtwo moved him over, dropping him in some tall grass. As soon as everyone was safely inside, Meowth started moving the mecha again, and they marched into Vermillion City.

* * *

Ariana had promised Giovanni that she wouldn't fail this mission. She was the strongest of the Team Rocket Executives, and he had assigned her to a special job. She was to take over the Alliance base in Cerulean. Petrel, finally, had told Giovanni something important. Somehow, two Grunts had found the Alliance base in Cerulean. It wasn't a huge surprise for Giovanni, because he knew it was in one of the larger cities, but knowing which one was important.

Ariana was the most trusted of his Executives. She rarely messed up on a mission, and her Pokèmon were hard to defeat. So it was her that he assigned the mission to. He sent three Grunts with her as well.

She had snuck through Mt. Moon with her team using a secret passage that was built before Team Rocket had taken over. It was used to transport stolen Pokèmon from Cerulean and other cities farther away from Viridian. The easiest way to get to Viridian City back then was through Mt. Moon and the Viridian Forest because Pokèmon weren't used to fly places back then.

When she got to the passage, she noticed Silver walking through the mountain with a Bulbasaur. Thinking that he could only be going through Mt. Moon to get to the Cerulean City base, she instructed her team to attach a tracking device to something he had with him, and then she continued to go through the secret tunnel.

When she got out, the mountain started to shake. Luckily, she was far enough away, because it seemed to be collapsing on itself. The roaring it made as rocks inside fell made Ariana smile. It was like a final breath as rock and earth shifted inside before coming to a temporary halt. If the wrong thing moved, though, it would begin to fall again.

* * *

Groaning, Silver glanced around at his surroundings. At least, he tried. It was pitch black in the cave, so he couldn't see a thing in the darkness. Bulbasaur was still in his arms.

"How are we going to get out of here without light?" he scowled, and Bulbasaur shifted in his arms before climbing out of them completely. The little plant started to glow with a white light, and Silver gasped.

"No way..."

* * *

Vermillion City had changed in the last few years. Lt. Surge had joined up with Giovanni and Team Rocket, and Vermillion had become one of their main hangouts now. Things were more dangerous now with Rockets roaming the streets after dark, not to mention that the docks were now under Team Rocket's control as well. Vermillion was the main overseas connection to other regions, and supplies were being sent right to Team Rocket while other cities in Kanto were running low.

Once again, walking around a city in a giant Pikachu mecha attracts a lot of attention, and not the good kind. Within mere seconds they were surrounded by Rockets and their Pokèmon.

"Stop right there!" the leader yelled, and James came out of the mecha with his face showing mock surprise and anger.

"How dare you attempt to attack us? Giovanni would have you demoted faster than an Abra could use Teleport!" he shouted. The Rocket looked confused.

"What do you mean? Is this a Team Rocket mecha?" he asked, bewildered. James nodded.

"Of course! Would I walk in here with it if it wasn't?"

The Grunt seemed a little less suspicious.

"Why is it a Pikachu?" he questioned.

"Why can't the Boss have whatever kind of mecha he wants? You don't have the right to question his superiority!" James said angrily, and the Rocket backtracked.

"Of course not! I would never do that! Is this a new project needed for something here in Vermillion?"

James nodded again.

"It would be best if you cleared a space so my partner can move the mecha into a better spot." he said, and the Rocket did a little salute before running off to make room for the Pikachu.

"Are you guys almost done disabling the mecha's control system?" James whispered into his earpiece.

It was Jessie who answered him.

_"Yes, Meowth is nearly finished. Once he turns off the system's restarting mechanism, Pikachu will overload the generator and the mecha will be useless. I must say, this is our best mecha we've ever made. It's backup systems are hard to turn off and the outside is stronger than any other mecha's I've seen. Why is it that we're better good guys than we were villans?"_

"Who knows. Maybe when this is all over we could write a book on our lives and how we changed sides! We'll be rich!"

This time Misty interrupted them.

_"We have more important things to take care of right now than your get-rich-quick schemes!"_

* * *

"No way..."

Right before his eyes, Bulbasaur had learned Flash and was illuminating the cave with a white light. Silver could see everything much better now, including the small gap in the collapsed rocks around him. It looked just big enough for him to squeeze through with Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, do you think you can crawl through that crack over there?"

The plant nodded, shuffling over carefully and slowly walking into the small gap. Silver managed to follow him.

The air was harder to breathe in the small space. At one point, he thought that the tunnel would never end, until he spotted the small speck of light at the end above Bulbasaur's head.

He pushed forward, struggling through the tight space and finally tumbling out after Bulbasaur into tall grass and over a ledge.

"We... made it out. We did it!"

The fear he'd been holding in escaped as he jumped up with happiness.

"Let's go to Cerulean now and find the Alliance base!" he said, and Bulbasaur cheered as they dashed down the hill, not even noticing the person following them.

* * *

It's strange how a part of their minds had somehow known that they'd need a secret door at the back of the Pikachu mecha when they'd built it. The group of seven exited at the back of Pikachu, directly underneath the second brown stripe on the mecha's back. Disguised in black outfits, they all looked a lot like Rockets (except for Mewtwo, who had purple skin).

As they got farther and farther away from the mecha, they began to relax.

At least, until Lt. Surge appeared in front of the path to Route 6 with about half a dozen Rockets ready to attack.

* * *

Silver banged on the doors of the Pokèmon Centre.

"Pokèmon Centres are never closed! What's going on?" he shouted, but the automatic doors stayed shut.

"Who are you?"

A man walked up to him. He had dark spiked hair and squinty eyes. He noticed Bulbasaur, though, and Bulbasaur called out to him weakly.

"Saur..." the little plant groaned.

"Bulbasaur's burned badly. I can help heal him. Follow me." the man said. Silver followed him to the doors of the Cerulean Gym.

"The Gym?" he whispered. The doors of the Gym opened, and Ash's mom let him and the man in.

"I know you." he said quietly once inside the Gym. She didn't look surprised.

"Lots of people know me. Ash brings lots of friends home, so that's why you might remember me. Brock, any sign of those six out there?"

The man, Brock, shook his head.

"No, there not there."

Delia took notice of Bulbasaur.

"Hello Bulbasaur. I haven't seen you in a while. Why are you here?"

"Saur Bulbasaur Bulba Bulba!" the Seed Pokèmon said quickly. Brock had taken him from Silver and started to fix up an burn heal. Bulbasaur was eating a Rawst Berry while he waited, and it definitely helped.

"I think I know what you mean. You want to help Ash. But he's not here right now, he went towards Fuchsia City."

"Brock, Delia, you should come back down here-"

Lance stopped speaking when he saw Silver. For a few seconds, it was quiet. Finally, Lance nodded.

"You too Silver. You should stay here too. It's dangerous out there."

They all went to a trapdoor in the floor of the Gym. Silver climbed down the ladder with Bulbasaur in one arm. Lance led the way into a room where the Kanto Elite Four as well as the Saffron City Gym leader and Professor Oak sat, waiting.

Bulbasaur seemed happy to see the professor, and ran up to him before jumping in his arms.

"Hello there, Bulbasaur. How did you get here?"

But Professor Oak stopped listening. Instead, he was looking at something on Bulbasaur's leg. It was very tiny, and flashing red.

_A tracking device?_

* * *

Ariana smiled as she snuck into the seemingly abandoned Gym. The little weed had led her right to it. After checking the radar device she had with her, it seemed that the tracker was underground. The Executive searched around the Gym, finally spotting something that looked a lot like a door. Within moments she had pulled the trapdoor out from the floor and climbed down below. The Alliance base was a secret no more.

* * *

"How did you find us?"

Lance's sharp voice was magnified in the silence that had seeped into the room. The red haired woman smiled.

"It was easy. I just followed Silver and his walking flower pot," she replied, and Bulbasaur visibly stiffened. The little plant seemed to radiate anger, and was probably going to attack any second now. Silver came closer to him and touched the top of his bulb with his fingertips, and Bulbasaur relaxed a little.

"Bulba..." the Seed Pokèmon growled. Ariana glanced at him, and chuckled.

"You really think you scare me? I've seen Magikarp more frightening than you," she scoffed.

"Just because you found us doesn't mean that you'll stop us completely." Will said, but the Executive only rolled her eyes.

"Please. Giovanni knows about your little hideout in Fuchsia City and your backup in Cinnabar. He knows that Celdon City is no longer agreeing with you, and it's changing alliances as we speak. Pewter is going to be no longer a problem in a few short hours, and as soon as we get all the information we need from this base, Cerulean will go down in flames."

Brock looked pale when Pewter was mention and Lance seemed to be surprised as the information sunk in. Delia and Professor Oak seemed out of place, and Sabrina was in a world of her own, her eyes closed and a light blue glow came off of her.

Silver only needed to tap the bulb once, and Bulbasaur had launched a Vine Whip, wrapping it's vines around the Team Rocket Executive. Unfortunately, her arm was in a bad position, because she grabbed a Pokèball from her waist and released her Vileplume.

"Poison Powder. I don't want anyone leaving here alive but me." she said in a venomous tone.

* * *

**And now I'm going to cut this off here because this is a good spot to end it. I bet I totally freaked out some people when Bulbasaur glowed!**

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and if anyone did skip my notes at the top, IMDH will be updated _3/2/15 _on my NEW UPDATE SCHEDULE! _NEW SCHEDULE: MONDAYS!_**

**Like always, I do appreciate reviews, even if you are complaining about how upset you are that I gave you such an awful cliffhanger...  
**

**Goodbye for now, **

**Typhlosion8**


	26. Stowaway

**Hey, it's your wonderful Ty8 here, back with another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" Starting off, I have an interesting video to show you guys! ****Roll the clip!**

_**Wild Pokèmon Company appears. **__**"Go, Typhlosion!"**_

_**Wild Pokèmon Company uses Pay Day! It's not very effective.**_

_**Typhlosion uses Overheat! Wild Pokèmon Company is Burned!**_

_**"Go Master Ball!" *rocks, rocks, rocks,***_

_**It escaped?!**_

_**Wild Pokèmon Company flees!**_

**This is why I don't own Pokèmon. To be fair, I used a Master Ball. It's hard to get wild Pokèmon Companies.**

**Welcome to Chapter 26! I worked hard this past week to have two updates ready to go, and I know this one was late in the day, but it's not easy writing a chapter after such a long one before! I think everyone will like having another update so soon though! The next update will be 3/9/15, and I can't wait! It's hard waiting to post these, you know. I love making you guys freak out at my cliffies and I really want to update faster, but I want some order in this, so you'll have to wait. Until then, enjoy this new chapter!**

**And now... Chapter 26!**

* * *

Lt. Surge was still frightening after all these years.

The once strong Gym Leader was now very different though. His yellow hair was still cropped short and his army jacket still there, but something was different about him, something strange.

But that didn't really matter. There were more important things to worry about, like how he was blocking their exit.

"You kids thought you were smart, did you? Thought you could get away? Please. No one does anything in Vermillion without my permission, and that includes sneaking through. Did you really bring a giant Pikachu here too?"

None of them answered. There could only be two reasons for that. One, they had given up, or two, they were all trying to form escape plans. It was hard to tell with their mixed group.

"Are you going to along come quietly or are you going to make a fuss? I would prefer it if I could just barbecue you, but I'm not allowed." Surge said.

"_I'm _not just going to give up. I have important things to do."

It was Misty who spoke up first. The brave, stubborn redhead then decided that now was a perfect time to show off something special she was well known for: a large wooden mallet.

It came out of nowhere and slammed into the nearest Rocket. He was out cold without even knowing what hit him.

Meowth ran up and started scratching faces into ground beef with his sharp claws. Red lines were on at least half of the Grunts.

Mewtwo took care of the rest, freezing them in place with his psychic abilities. The Rockets glowed light blue, unmoving.

Then there was Lt. Surge and Ash. Surge had released his Raichu, who was sparking it's cheeks menacingly, and Ash wasn't grabbing a Pokèball or anything!

"We'll show this kid not to mess with us. Raichu, Thunder!" Lt. Surge called out.

"Iron Tail!" Ash yelled, and the steely tail slammed into Raichu and knocked the mouse into the ground.

"Rai..." the Mouse Pokèmon groaned as it got back up. And then there was Pikachu, who had hidden on the sidelines and was now looking scarier than Raichu. Even Raichu looked uncomfortable as Pikachu glared at him.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack followed by Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded, and his little yellow mouse shot forward and zapped Raichu. The mouse seemed unfazed, but a little scared at the power.

"That was nothing. Raichu, give that rat a Thunder attack!"

"Take that Thunder and use it to power up your Volt Tackle!"

As Pikachu was hit by lightning, he started to run, gaining more power as he came closer to the orange mouse.

"Now, use Iron Tail again!"

The Iron Tail powered up by Volt Tackle knocked Raichu out instantly, leaving the orange mouse with swirly eyes.

Unfortunately, Lt. Surge had prepared for this, because within moments, they were outnumbered as Rockets appeared out of nowhere. Mewtwo hastily teleported, going only Arceus knows where.

It was official: the silence this time was now because they were giving up.

* * *

Some might call it luck, other might say it was just a type advantage of being part Poison type, but Bulbasaur wasn't affected by Poison Powder.

As soon as the attack was called, he let go of Ariana and wiggled out of Silver's grip, who had grabbed him as soon as Vileplume came out.

Please. Like some Grass/Poison Pokèmon scared him.

He dropped to the floor and ran to the giant flower, using Flash as a diversion. The bright light might have given the Alliance a few seconds to cover their mouths before the toxic spores flew into the air, glowing a pretty sparkling purple colour that would look dazzling if this wasn't a mater of life or death. Ariana had fled, probably blocking the door behind her. The Poison Powder was getting thick now, making it hard to see where the door was.

Bulbasaur used Vine Whip, wrapping a vine around Silver and Professor Oak and pulling on them. They finally understood, walking closer until Silver grabbed the Professor's coat. Bulbasaur released his hold on them and grabbed Delia and Sabrina, pulling them towards Silver. The Seed Pokèmon continued this, grabbing Will, Agatha, Lorelei, Bruno and Lance until everyone was together.

Looking around, he realized that he couldn't see at all anymore. It was all a cloud of Poison Powder now, and if anyone breathed in, it would be impossible not to inhale the poisonous spores.

Using Flash again, the room got brighter for a few seconds, and Bulbasaur spotted Vileplume briefly on top of the table.

"Bulba Bulbasaur!" he yelled at Vileplume, but the Grass/Poison type only laughed.

"Plume Vileplume Vile!" he replied, and Bulbasaur knew that this battle would not be easy.

* * *

The Gym was dark like it used to be when Ash first got his Gym Badge here, but that time, it was supposed to be like that. This time, Pikachu fried the lights in his anger when they got there.

The five rebels sat in the almost empty Gym with Pikachu tied up with a large rubber circle that wrapped around the little mouse and blocked electricity. Meowth had his arms tied behind him with a rope to prevent him from aiding an escape mission. The others just sat solemnly, waiting for the moment when something, good or bad, happened to them. Preferably the former.

Six Rockets surrounded them with full teams of Pokémon if the group tried to get away. It seemed like everything was lost.

Then the alarm started ringing, a piercing sound that rung in everyone's ears. Meowth and Pikachu were trying to cover their more sensitive ears as someone came into the room, taking out the guards as they did.

Ash looked up to see them, and couldn't believe who it was.

* * *

She felt sort of bad about avoiding Kanto after the news that Team Rocket had taken over. Even though Kanto was in a bad situation, Johto was thriving as always with all the recent events. They recently had people from Sinnoh throw a festival in Blackthorn City. There were tons of exciting games and competitions there. She swore that Dawn was there! The cheerful bluenette was getting prepared for the next Hoenn Grand Festival and had come here to watch the performers in the Johto Grand Festival.

Maybe all that was why she didn't realized how bad it was until now.

It was during her stay in Cherrygrove City that she first noticed the strange people in black. They were all shifty looking characters that hid in the shadows. At one point, she spotted a large red 'R' on one woman's shirt.

As she went to New Bark Town to see their famous windmills, she saw even more of them. They had a dark aura around them that kept even the friendliest, most outgoing and welcoming person back.

So when she got out her own new Pokègear (It was one of the first things she bought in Goldenrod) and turned on the radio a few days later, the shock most people felt wasn't what she felt.

_"This is breaking news! The Olivine Lighthouse has been destroyed by a Hyper Beam shot from an Umbreon! Whether this Pokèmon has a trainer or not is currently unknown, but Officer Jenny is trailing the rogue Dark type. Olivine City's Gym Leader, Jasmine, is currently leading the search for her Pokèmon, Amphy the Ampharos, who is missing in the rubble. We ask that trainers be on the lookout for an Umbreon running wild in Johto that knows Hyper Beam..."_

It wasn't that hard to decide to go help with the search for Amphy. She wanted to do whatever she could to help. But when she arrived at Olivine, people gave her easy jobs. Finally, she wandered the docks, bored.

Then she spotted the Umbreon, dashing onto a boat. She ran to the small vessel and, without thinking or noticing the dark red 'R' on the side of the black painted watercraft or the people walking around it wearing Team Rocket uniforms, snuck aboard with the hopes of catching the dangerous Umbreon and bringing it to Officer Jenny.

* * *

**Sorry that it's so late! I had things to do today, and was late getting home! I hope you guys liked Chapter 26 though!**

**Next update: 3/9/15!**

**Ty8 here,**

**Over and out!**


	27. The Flooding of Vermillion City

**So, so tired... *****snores***

***gets poked in the face by Kit***

**What do you mean I was sleeping while I was writing? I would never do that! I was just resting my eyes, that's all!**

**Hello and welcome to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" I'm your host, *yawns* Ty8, here with Chapter 27 of _In My Darkest Hour_! Let's get this over with, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. It will be one day. Soon. ^_^**

**First off, I'd like to stick my tongue out at Kit the Pokèmaniac, who sent me 173 PMs while I was out on Saturday at a mall. Thanks for messing up my inbox! *sticks tongue out***

**Secondly, I'd like to ask that people remind me not to put off writing these things in 1 and a 1/9 of a day, because I keep pushing off writing these chapters 'til Saturday evening and Sunday, and it's really hard! I'd like to remind everyone else that the next chapter will be 3/16/15! Wow, is March really that close to over?**

**Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 27!**

* * *

The Umbreon looked well-fed and strong for a wild Pokèmon, which meant that someone had probably caught it. The only question was who?

The ship stopped at a dock, and as the girl looked around, she realized that she was back in Vermillion City. It was hard not to remember the place with all of it's bright, colourful houses. Or, at least what use to be bright and colourful houses. The city looked run down and everything looked duller than it had once been. Storm clouds were brewing in the sky, threatening to soak the city. to It had been a beautiful seaside town that attracted tourists every year, but now it was a place you'd want to avoid.

_How did Kanto get this bad? It was such an amazing place, but now it's changed, becoming as dark as it's dictator._

As two people in black came close to her hiding spot, she quickly pulled open and climbed into a box labeled 'To: Vermillion Gym'. Once person lifted it, and groaned a little at the extra weight.

"Who knew RageCandyBars were so heavy?" the guy complained.

"It doesn't matter. The Boss wants to stock up on supplies here." another person said.

The girl grabbed a few RageCandyBars from the overflowing box and stuffed them in her pack. She didn't know exactly what they did, they might be useful later on.

After about five minutes, her box was lowered and stopped moving. Grabbing a Pokèball off her belt, she prepared to be attacked as the box would be opened. Small cracks of light filtered in between the lid. Nothing happened.

She waited.

Nothing happened.

She waited still.

No one opened the box.

Still waiting.

It seemed almost silent outside of her box. Irritated, she shoved the top off impatiently and released her Pokèmon in a flash of white light.

* * *

It was difficult to track, yes, but the small creature couldn't hide forever. Giovanni had sent his best tracker, Domino, after it.

Many of his best resources were being used to hunt down the rare Pokèmon. But by the third week, he saw results.

Eye-witness accounts from Grunts that they spotted it in many places, roaming around Kanto. First, in the quiet remains of Pallet Town, then by the collapsed Mt. Moon, and even at the Pokèmon Tower, a place swarming with ghosts. But they cornered it in Vermillion, under a truck by the sea.A few strong Pokèmon pushed the vehicle aside and there it was.

Mew.

They attacked it with Dark Pulses, but the pink Pokèmon changed form into a Houndoom, and the attacks didn't affect it much. A few Crunch attacks knocked out most of the opposing Pokèmon, but a Rhydon came out and started throwing rocks everywhere. Golbats were firing Air Slashes and Screech attacks one after the other, and Mew changed again into a completely different Pokèmon, this time a Jynx and hit everything in it's path with a Blizzard attack that froze everyone, Grunts included.

The Jynx turned into a Jolteon and ran, it's yellow body like a lightning bolt as it leaped up high. As it fled, a wicked bolt of lightning dropped from the dark storm clouds and slammed into the S.S. Anne, destroying the ship and all of Team Rocket's new supplies in a massive explosion of flames. It also caused a wave to flow over the docks and into the streets as rain poured down onto Vermillion City.

* * *

May released her Blaziken and within mere moments, anyone in the surrounding area was out cold. Wandering through the Gym, she noticed the odd blackout in the building. The lights were short circuited and no longer working, no matter how many times she flicked the light switch.

As soon as they entered the basement, an alarm went of and wailed like a Golbat's Screech attack. Her ears were hurting badly, but she still managed to take out the few guards in the basement. But she stopped cold when she saw who was being kept prisoner.

"Ash? Misty? _Team Rocket?_"

"We're not part of Team Rocket, remember? We're the Ex-Team Rocket now!" Jessie complained, but Ash didn't care.

"May! Thank Arceus that you're here! Can you let us out?" he asked, and with a quick signal, the bars had been melted by a Fire Spin.

"Things have really changed around here." she mumbled, and Ash chuckled.

"Yeah, things are different with Team Rocket ruling over us. But that's not important. We need to get to Celadon City before someone discovers that we're gone."

Soon, everyone was at the Gym's doors. Gary had introduced himself to May, and Team Rocket was munching on RageCandyBars. They seemed hyper as they ate more and more, but no one seemed to mind. Ash was adding some to his backpack, and Pikachu ate tried one and promptly spit it out.

When Misty opened the Gym doors, she was met with water up to her ankles as it slowly went higher. Ash released Croconaw in case the water got deep, and the group unhappily sloshed through the street, soaked to the skin.

* * *

The Jolteon changed into a Golduck that used his Swift Swim ability to double his Speed as he swam through the puddles that had popped up on Route 6. The rain had been boosted by a Rain Dance the kind Gyrados who he was friends with used to help cover his escape. Anywhere close to Vermillion was being swamped by heavy rain. Vermillion itself was being flooded to help slow down Rockets that was on his tail. The rare pink Pokèmon felt bad that he had probably destroyed a lot of people's homes, but it was for a good reason. He had to stay out f Team Rocket's clutches, and by doing that, he kept everyone else safe.

The Golduck was almost at some dry land when it heard the sound of water splashing nearby. Changing into a Kecleon, he turned invisible.

* * *

May was trying to keep up, and as she ran to catch up with the others, she bumped into something. The surprise of hitting something shocked her, and she fell over into the icy-cold water that was up to everyone's knees. Freezing, she coughed water as she tried to get back up. There was nothing in her path, so what did she crash into?

* * *

Bulbasaur attacked first, using a Vine Whip to unbalance Vileplume. His opponent was prepared for that, because she leaped over it like a jump rope and used Mega Drain, sucking away at some of Bulbasaur's energy. The Seed Pokèmon fought back with Flash, blinding the Flower Pokèmon as the bright light cut across her vision. Another Vine Whip went forward for an attack, but Vileplume leapt over that one too, almost sensing the vine.

Bulbasaur knew that Solarbeam wouldn't work underground, without a shred of light. He was limited to razor Leaf, Vine Whip and Flash to win, and none of his attacks were very effective.

"Give up! Just let the humans die already!" Vileplume yelled at him, but he stubbornly shook his head.

"No! They're important to me." he said, and the Flower Pokèmon scowled, releasing a Sweet Scent attack.

_What good is that going to do? _

His answer came with a Sleep Powder in his face, and his legs collapsed as he slumped to the ground, asleep.

* * *

Giovanni slammed his fist down on his desk.

"Find it! I can't waste any more time or resources searching for it! Vermillion is destroyed and Surge is missing, all because of a tiny pink cat, and you can't even catch that? You're all useless!"

The Executives shuffled back a bit, and Domino looked down. They'd never seen Giovanni this angry before.

"If you don't get that pathetic excuse for a mythical Pokèmon within the next 48 hours, I'll personally sign the papers for your imprisonment!"

"Yes sir."

With that, they left, and the Rocket leader groaned. His plan was failing. He'd worked so hard to secure his position as Champion, to eradicate all Rebels, to take control of the cities. He'd gotten Saffron, a huge financial district, and Pewter, a big Alliance hideout. Celadon was about to join, and he had Vermillion, a seaport with plenty of supplies to build his empire with. But somehow, everything was crumbling. He was losing more and more supporters as his Grunts got out of hand, and more Rebels were joining the fight. At this rate, he'd be overthrown in a few months!

There was no doubt about it. He needed to take Johto as well. Luckily, he had just the person for the job.


	28. The Beginning Of A (Maybe Deadly)Problem

**Hello and welcome to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" I'm your always jubilant host, Ty8, and I'd like to start this off by saying I do not own Pokèmon because Kit's holding my Typhlosion as hostage because I ate her last chocolate chip cookie. (You're not getting it back!)**

**Alright, next on my list is a reminder that the next chapter will be March 23rd, 2015. (why did I write out the whole thing today?)**

**Finally, I'm going to say that today many of you will probably be upset at me for writing this. Unfortunately, I will be deleting this document after perfecting it, so I cannot go back and change it, before anyone asks. You know who you are.**

**May I present... Chapter 28!**

* * *

Kecleon changed back into Mew, who hastily hid in a nearby pine tree. The travellers who were wandering Route 6 seemed like regular people, but it was too risky to reveal itself to anyone. The pink cat-like Pokèmon flew away, towards Cycling Road.

* * *

Silver, holding tightly to Professor Oak and Sabrina, started to slowly walk. He didn't want to trip on anything, and if he did, it was probably going to be the end for him. The amount of Poison Powder in the room would kill a person almost instantly with a single breath. So he carefully tested each step, trying to feel for objects that might be in his way.

He could hear Bulbasaur battling Vileplume nearby, and hoped that they wouldn't be hit accidentally by an attack. Things were already too dangerous right now.

* * *

Route 6 was actually very short in comparison to other routes. They found the gate to Saffron quickly, but had to stay in the shadows to avoid being caught by Rockets, if they were even there. The Grunts would probably flee with the amount of water still coming. It wasn't a natural rainfall anymore. A Pokèmon was controlling this.

Pushing through trees, they slowly started to make headway towards Celadon City. It was an Alliance city, so they would be safe there until they could find a way to Fuchsia City.

As they saw the road of Route 7, each one of them exhaled the deep breath they were holding. The rain was still coming down in torrents, and not showing any signs of stopping. The water wasn't as bad over here though, only as high as their ankles. Everyone was miserable and cold as they walked through the gate to Celadon City. Ash almost smiled until he spotted a black uniformed Grunt walking down the street. He grabbed the nearest two people and ducked into an alley, hoping that the others would follow.

Luckily, they did, and questions started coming from everyone.

"Shhh! There's a Rocket over there, and where there's one, there's more. Something is up. Grunts don't usually wander an Alliance town without a reason. They might have taken the city by force."

"What do we do?" Misty asked. Others started to repeat her question, but Pikachu sent a bolt of lightning up that got everyone's attention.

"Pika Pika Pikachu Pi!" he said quickly. The group stared at the electric mouse, confused.

"Pikachu Pi Chu Pika Chu Pikachu Pikachu Pi!" Pikachu tried again, and Meowth had a sudden grin on his face.

"I understand! Pikachu says dat we should find da Gym Leader!"

* * *

It avoided the bright rectangle place, because the colours were blinding. The flooded place was where it had fled from, so it had to stay far from there. It was tired, and really didn't want to fly far in it's exhaustion. As it got closer to the paved road, it noticed the specks of black in between the dark grey of the ground. Evil!

"Mew! Mew Mew Mew!" the little pink thing cried out, and went south towards the purple place.

* * *

Silver nearly walked into the door. He pulled on the handle as hard as he could, but the door was locked. He was running out of air, but still managed to release Weavile. The Ice/Dark type was badly Poisoned as soon as he came out of his Pokèball, but a hasty motion towards the door and the Pokèmon had sliced three large claw marks into the door, almost getting through to the other side. A few more swipes left a gap large enough for everyone to get out.

Some of the Poison Powder started to come outside of the room through the broken door, but it was less dangerous than before.

"Where's Bulbasaur?"

Brock spoke first after waving the powder away from him as far as he could.

"You don't think he... fainted, do you?" Delia asked sadly.

""It's highly likely. The tiny Grass type wasn't that strong. The real question is how will we get him out of there and away from Vileplume." Silver said coldly.

"Weavile?" his Pokèmon asked, but Silver shook his head.

"The poison is too strong. If we don't leave soon, it will overtake us as well."

"Someone has to go get him." Delia said. Before anyone could say anything else, Professor Oak had walked back into the haze of purple.

* * *

The Celadon City Gym was a Grass type Gym that had been rebuilt after a fire that was started by the Team Rocket trio a few years ago, but was better than before and well known for three things. One, the Gym was basically an indoor garden now, full of flowers and life. Some people said that the flowers in the Gym were some of the last of their kind. Two, it had the smell of flowers and really strong perfume wafting through it that made any trainer new to the Gym want to gag, and three, the Gym was a females-only Gym. Only female trainers could go in and out.

Over the years, people protested that it was sexist, but no one actually wanted to go into the Gym and enforce it because of the smell and the many Grass type Pokèmon trainers with Stun Spore and Sleep Powder ready to use.

Now, though, the flowers had wilted and the smell was replaced with a different one that no one could quite identify. The Gym was empty and dark. A window had been smashed and glass littered the floor. The once beautiful wooden archways were charred and snapped, leaving sharp splinters of wood sticking out. Not a word was spoken, but they all knew: something terrible had happened here.

"Erika? Erika? Are you in here? Anyone?" Misty called out, and her voice echoed in the deserted Gym.

"Let's split up and search. May, James and I will search the Gym, Misty, you and Meowth should go look in the extra rooms in the back. Gary and Jessie, go look outside in the surrounding area." Ash said, and everyone quickly split up to do their jobs.

"Hello? Anyone in here?" James yelled, but no one answered. Ash and May were carefully climbing farther into the maze of thorny hedges and gates that threatened to crash down on them. Pikachu was calling out to any Pokèmon in the Gym, but not even any cries of help were heard.

"Hey Ash, I found something!"

The raven haired trainer hurried over to her. "What is it?"

"Some sort of Pokèmon move. I think it's Worry Seed. Do you think that means anything?" May asked.

"It might. Let's keep looking though."

* * *

_Just a little farther. Just a little farther. Just a little farther. Just a little-_

Mew cried out as the Master Ball hit it's tiny tail and felt the sensation of it's body changing form into a red light that went inside the ball. Then there was darkness. The usual sliver of light that gave hope to a wild Pokèmon wasn't there, because escape was impossible with a Master Ball. There was no way that the tiny pink Legendary Pokèmon could escape it's new destiny. The _**t**__**ing **_finalized it. Mew was caught.

* * *

"Is it ready to go now?"

"Yes, Giovanni, sir. THe scientists are administering it to Mew now."

"Good. Show me."

The Grunt led the Rocket Boss to the one-sided glass that looked into the room. Mew was in a small cage now, and a tiny needle was in the it's little arm as a scientist (Namba, perhaps) pushed down the plunger and the dark pink liquid went in. Mew gave a sharp squeal before it was silent and it's eyes glowed.

"And it will be like a chain, Namba says?"

"Yes sir. Mew will spread the Pokèrus to all other Pokèmon."

"Even Legendary ones?"

"Not immediately, but eventually, yes."

* * *

Ash was close to giving up.

"There's nothing here. We're wasting time. Let's get to the Cycling Road." he said, and May nodded.

"Okay. I'll grab Misty and Meowth. James, can you get Gary and Jessie?"

From farther away, the lavender haired man replied a yes and his footsteps sounded even more distant as he went to the door.

Ash called out to his starter.

"Pikachu, let's get going."

No replies.

"Pikachu?" he called out again. He saw the mouse go this way earlier, so he followed the small trail to his partner turned away from him. Ash reached out to him.

"Come on, it's time to leave."

As soon as his finger brushed the Electric type, Pikachu's tiny fangs snapped down on it with a ferocious growl.

"Pi_kaaa_..."

* * *

Ho-Oh felt it deeply, and gave a screech of emotional pain. This was only the beginning of a new, dangerous game the Team Rocket was playing. It cried out from it's home in Bell Tower and the call swept through Johto, bringing a shudder of fear down everyone's backs as they heard the sound.

Lugia felt the loss, and called out through the ocean in it's rage. The sea would feel it's fury today. Tomorrow, the Legendary Pokèmon would travel to Kanto. Lugia had tried to stay away, but it was too far gone now. Their only hope was to destroy the region and it's inhabitants in the hopes of wiping out the evil that plagued the land.

* * *

**And I'll see you all next week!  
*runs away with her head ducked***

**Bye Bye for now!**

**Typhlosion8!**


	29. Attacking Friends

**Ty8's back, and with me, I bring a new episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" ****These things aren't really that weird. Why do I still call them weird author notes?**

**Whatever. I don't own Pokèmon blah blah blah, anyways, let's get on with this! First of all, the next update will be 3/30/15, ****so be there, or miss out on really cool epic stuff! Second of all, I'm sure people freaked out last chapter. So let me assure you, this is not something to be worrying about. What you _should _be worrying about is Chapter 30 when _*static*_comes ****_*static*_****and ****_*static*_**** to _*static*_****_*static*_**** from ****_*static*_**** but ****_*static*_**** because of ****_*static*_**** strength and ****_*static*_**** starts to ****_*static*_**** spell and Chapter 31when ****_*static*_**** brings ****_*static*_**** the ****_*static*_**** and commands them to ****_*static*_**** destroying the ****_*static*_**** and ****_*static* _****sends ****_*static*_****, ****_*static*_**** and ****_*static*_**** to save the ****_*static*_**** and ****_*static*_**** is ****_*static*_**** by _Meowth?! _And then in ****Chapter 32 when ****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_****_*static*_and they finally find out the truth about ****_*static*_!**

**Sorry about the static there. A Pidgey must have flown into my electrical line and messed up my computer. I guess you'll have to wait to find out what happens!**

**...**

**I think that's why they're called weird author notes...**

**Oi! HEY! PEOPLE! I'm really into _HoennChampionShipping_ right now, aka May/Steven, preferably not anime world. If you can suggest some really good ones, this site or not, TELL ME!**

* * *

_**Okay, I updated early because Kit's got writer's block and I want to make her feel better. You people should be happy, because today's Tuesday and I just added another chapter to IMDH! Still not updating again 'til 3/30/15, though. Gives me time to do my chapters early and ahead, which is much easier than rushing the night before. Let me have this one. Please? Thanks! You people are good friends. Yes, I'm looking at all you random Guests reading this too.** **^_^**_

* * *

**And now, may I present Chapter 29!**

* * *

"I guess we should go back to the Gym, Meowth. Let's go."

Misty had been rummaging through the Gym Leader's quarters, but nothing there was of importance. Meowth had gone to check the kitchen for any "evidence" or suspicious "artifacts". The Water type trainer figured that he was going to scavenge for food, so she let him be because the cat did seem a bit thin.

"Meowth? Are you nearby? Answer me!"

She got no reply. Angry, she stormed down the hallway and knocked open the door to the kitchen. The light was out and Meowth was there, sitting on the table like a normal Meowth instead of cross-legged like a human.

"Meowth, come on! The others probably want us to meet them now." Misty said with frown.

"Don't be stubborn. Just take whatever food you found with you." she tried.

A hiss came from the Scratch Cat Pokèmon.

"Me_owth..._" the former Rocket said. It sounded almost natural, like a regular Meowth would speak.

"Are you okay?"

In the split second that she finished the sentence, he had spun around and swiped at her with a razor-sharp claw that she missed by millimetres. She could hear the air in front of her face make a _whoosh _sound as the claw flew in front of her.

"Why are you attacking?" she asked, her voice shaking as she tried to find something to defend with.

"_Meowth!_" he growled again and aimed another blow at Misty's head. She ducked, but not fast enough, and one of the claws met her forehead, leaving a deep cut just below her hairline. Misty gasped as pain came instantly to her and she felt blood come down her head from the wound. Finally grabbing a Pokèball, she pressed the button and released a Pokèmon.

Psyduck came out, the little yellow duck looking confused.

"Psyyyy?"

Then he shuddered and clutched his head.

"Psyduck! Use Confusion!" Misty called out, but he didn't respond. Instead, he turned around and glared at her.

"Psy_duck..._" he said quietly. His eyes glow blue, and Misty is thrown across the room by a Psychic. Meowth got ready to attack again.

"HELP!"

* * *

Pikachu's teeth sink in deep to Ash's finger. He's worried that if he touches him, it might cause the little mouse to attack with a Thunderbolt, but he has no other option.

Using his other hand, Ash grabs Pikachu's tail and twists it. Pikachu doesn't seem to notice it, so he keeps twisting it, hoping that his best friend will let go of his finger, which is now in excruciating pain. Any deeper and Pikachu might remove it completely.

"Let... GO!" he yells, and kicks Pikachu's face. Startled, his jaw loosens, and Ash quickly removes his finger, which is covered in blood. Angry, Pikachu's red cheeks start sparking dangerously.

"Pika_CHU!"_

The Thunderbolt forces Ash to his knees. It's stronger than any attack he's every felt, and he expects unconsciousness to come any second now and save him from this, but it isn't coming, and pain is coming from everywhere.

Then someone knocks Pikachu out with a piece of wood from the broken archway and it's over. He's gasping for breath and Gary is grabbing his injured hand and inspecting the wound.

"You're lucky Pikachu's canines aren't meant to actually chew through meat, or this would be a stub." The brunette says this with a ghost of a chuckle. Ash doesn't respond. It's taking all of his energy to breathe right now.

"Jessie was attacked by a wild Scyther outside. Got a nasty gash on her leg, but it wasn't long-lasting or deep. She'll be okay in a few day. James helped me fight it off. The first thing I thought of next was if you and Pikachu were okay. Your finger will be hurting a lot for a few days.I think something seriously wrong is going on here. The wild Pokèmon attacking a stranger I can understand, but never so viciously and a _captured_ Pokèmon attacking it's trainer? This feels like Team Rocket's doing."

"Yeah, Team Rock- MISTY!" Ash calls out as he shoots up.

"Huh?" Gary looks confused.

"Meowth! She's with Meowth!"

That's all he needs to say before they're running towards the back rooms where Misty and Meowth were sent.

* * *

"HELP!"

Meowth's claw is inches from her, and he's about to strike when a Pokèball hits him in the middle of his head, right on his golden charm.

He becomes red light and then the Pokèball's resting on the floor, shaking.

May looks like she's about to collapse herself until Psyduck aims a powerful Water Gun at her and she dives down to the ground next to Misty, who's barely conscious.

The Pokèball makes a little _*click* _and is still. Psyduck looks ready to tear May's head off with his little flippers.

"Psy_duck_!" he cries, and a Confusion attack pounds on her skull and she groans. Misty is crying out in pain nearby.

Then she spots Ash come in and tackle Psyduck, Gary tailing him and going to Misty and taking the yellow duck's Pokèball and recalling it.

"Where's Meowth?" Ash asks, and May slowly points to the Pokèball lying on the tiled floor.

"Oh." There's nothing else he can really say.

* * *

His lungs are already burning again, but he keeps going. It's time he helped out Bulbasaur. The Grass type has always done the same for him, helping around the lab, calming down the Pokèmon, and more recently, doing his very best to get all the Pokèmon in lab free into the wild as Team Rocket attacked Pallet and defended the professor himself. Now was the time to return the favour.

The purple cloud of poison seems to be easy to get through for some reason, like it's parting a bit for him. Then he spies Bulbasaur, fast asleep while Vileplume steals his energy with Mega Drain. Out of nowhere, he appears and grabs the Seed Pokèmon and hastily turns around and starts to walk faster as Vileplume looks around for it's target. He's almost through the door when his coat snags on the doorframe. Dropping Bulbasaur, he pulls on it, hoping it will come free.

It does, with a ripping noise as he unexpectedly falls forward. Bulbasaur is suddenly awake; his vines catching the professor just before he hits the ground.

But the Grass type can't reverse the small amount of purple powder he inhaled in his moment of surprise.

* * *

"Ariana sir, do we attack now?"

The red haired woman gives a grin of pure evil.

"Yes. Burn it down, all of it. Leave no survivors." she says, and the Houndoom begin to fire Flamethrowers at houses. Within minutes, screams can be heard and homes begin to collapse in on themselves. Flames lick the walls of the many buildings as smoke begins to rise into the air and block the moon that came up only an hour ago.

Ariana sighed.

"It's unfortunate that the information they had was all useless to us. We already knew they had a base in Celadon, Pewter, Cinnabar and Fuchsia City. Nothing else they had was important to us. Too bad, because I always liked Cerulean City. The sea was always so beautiful."

Cerulean City began to burn.

* * *

**Another chapter you guys will probably be upset about. Sorry!  
**

**If you didn't read the block of writing in my AN at the top about my early update, do so NOW.**

**"Typhlosion8's running off again!~"**

**Bye!**


	30. Things Are Getting Bad

**Welcome back to another epic episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" with me, Ty30, as your host!**

**Did I say 30? I meant 8. But today is a really strange and cool day, because today is March 30th, the day that Chapter 30 of _In My Darkest Hour_ comes out. ****Our next update will be 4/6/15!**

**As you all know, I don't own Pokèmon, but that's not stopping me from making this chapter as amazing as ever!**

**So why keep you guys waiting? Here's Chapter 30!**

* * *

"OW! Watch it, twerp!"

"Hey, I'm trying to fix your leg, but I can't if you're going to yell at me every five seconds!"

Jessie scowled, and Gary muttered an insult under his breath as he tried to fix the injury. James was sitting nearby, staring at the smooth surface of the red and white Pokèball that held his close friend, Meowth. Technically, it was May's, but she was kind enough to give it to Jessie and James.

"There. Done." Gary said as he placed the last of the bandages on it, and walked away to check on Ash's finger. He wasn't really a doctor, but he was the closest thing they had, being a researcher. They frequently had to fix injured wild Pokèmon in their travels, so he had basic medical knowledge. But even a normal person could take one look at it and say that Ash's finger looked really bad.

"Just tell me if I'll be able to use it again." the raven haired trainer asked Gary, who sighed.

"I really don't know, Ash. It's impossible to know at this stage. Once it heals more, we'll check it out again. Right now, I'm going to make a brace for it though in case Pikachu did damage a bone. It's best if you keep it in the same position anyway."

"Awww..." Ash whined.

After finding the right size stick, he cleaned it up and fit Ash's gauze-wrapped finger on top of it and added some medical tape to hold it tightly onto the twig.

"There. Now don't make any trouble. I'm going to check on Misty."

May and James were the only people uninjured. Even Gary himself had a nasty cut across his arm from Scyther's blades.

"Okay Mist, you don't need stitched, so that's good. It bled a lot, but head wounds usually do. I think you'll be okay. Just let it scab over and heal." he said reassuringly, and the redhead nodded.

"Got it." she said, and Gary walked back over to Ash.

"So, where do we go from here? Our Pokèmon are no longer usable, and most of the group is injured. We can't stay in the wild, because Pokèmon are attacking, and the city is overrun with Rockets. Saffron is Rocket territory now, Vermillion is being flooded as we speak and Cycling Road has been, according to rumours, taken over by bike gangs that we can't possibly defeat without Pokèmon and definitely can't beat in any feats of physical strength. What now, Ash?"

The teen said something so stupid that made sense in a completely insane way.

"We wait for Mewtwo to come find us."

* * *

Ironically enough, Mewtwo was actually in Celadon City, disguised and snooping in the Game Corner. He felt an evil presence, and had come here after teleporting away from the rockets in Vermillion. He felt bad for leaving Ash and his friends, but he couldn't be caught in his still weak state by Team Rocket, not after hearing that they were looking for a Psychic Legendary Pokèmon. It was too obviously him, so he left.

The Game Corner felt like something wrong in his mind. He felt the evil from Saffron, and had followed it here. Unfortunately, it turned out to be just humans gambling away their little coins playing a game called "Voltorb Flip".

As he left, something strong suddenly wrapped around his mind and started to tighten. He had this powerful urge to start shooting Aura Spheres at random people and buildings. It was a strong feeling that wasn't going away. It seemed to turn into this reserve of energy that he needed to use up, so he walked back into the Game Corner and started playing, using his Psychic powers to tell where the Voltorbs were and his urge was slowly going away, but not permanently.

Within minutes, he had piles of these stupid little coins that he spent saving a Porygon from the Game Corner that part of him knew would be important later. Then he had grabbed Porygon and teleported to the Celadon City Pokèmon Gym, where he felt needed.

There he saw his little ragtag group. Ash smiled. "I knew you'd come eventually!"

Gary was looking at his Porygon, which had started to float around.

The answers came to him quickly, like his subconscious knew what was going on.

_"Mew... it was infected with Pokèrus. Giovanni is truly ingenious, spreading it through Mew's genes. Every Pokèmon is supposedly related to Mew in some way, shape or form. That's why they're attacking. The strain of Pokèrus has infected them all through Mew's genes and now they've become wild again, snarling and attacking anything in sight. The Legendary Pokèmon aren't immune. Soon, every Pokèmon will be vicious beings that people hunt down and destroy. Of course, the odds of people surviving a Legendary Pokèmon's attack is 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%, so the human race is done for. Team Rocket will be the only ones left, and how do people stop you if they're not there?"_

"Why do you have a Porygon with you then? Porygon is a Pokèmon too! It will attack us!" May said quickly, and Mewtwo glared at her.

_"If I hadn't wasted my Psychic energy at the Game Corner cheating at "Voltorb Flip", I'd probably kill you, because I feel the power of the Pokèrus coursing through me, not just in my head like other Pokèmon. I was created by scientists using DNA from Mew's own fossilized eyebrow! I have a connection to Mew like no other!"_

The psychic seemed to calm down a bit, taking in a deep breath. He seemed to shake a bit, but continued his explanation anyway.

_"Mew is the most powerful Psychic in the world, stronger than a Gardevoir, stronger than an Alakazam, stronger than a Metagross, a Hypno. Stronger than Deoxys, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf combined. My connection has some benefits besides being affected stronger by Pokèrus. I have a very strong Psychic power that, occasionally, gives my subconscious an idea that I don't understand until later."_

_"Porygon is a man-made Pokèmon. It's only connection to regular Pokèmon is it's ability to attack and be captured like a real Pokèmon, as well as having an Ability. That's it. It cannot be affected by Pokèrus without being given the disease directly because it has none of Mew's genes. So since I had a lot of those tiny plastic coins that you humans collect, I used them to get a Porygon from the Game Corner. This is our only Pokèmon right now that is not going insane right now and trying to kill you."_

"Mewtwo?" Ash spoke quietly.

_"Yes?"_

"How are we going to take Pikachu with us? I can't put him in a Pokèball because he hates them, but if I leave him out he'll try to attack everyone."

Gary knew that this was the real reason Ash wanted Mewtwo to come. Sure, he wanted to find an escape, but he also wanted someone to help him fix Pikachu. The starter meant the world to him, and if anyone had a chance at blocking the Pokèrus from the mouse's mind, it would probably be Mewtwo.

The Legendary Pokèmon did not answer.

"There has to be a way to fix him, right?" Ash asked, his voice sounding a little desperate now.

_"Ash... The only way we might be able to fix him is by curing Mew of the Pokèrus. Until then, all Pokèmon will be vicious creatures that don't even think about who or what they're attacking. We'll can leave him here and I can put a shield around the Gym to keep other people or Pokèmon out, but that's the best that I can do. I'm not a miracle worker, just a psychic."_

Ash looked dumbstruck as he contemplated Mewtwo's words.

"Ash, it'll be the best thing for him until we can fix him." Gary told his friend. May seemed to nod silently.

"But..." Ash said quietly. Misty slowly came over and sat down next to him.

"Ash, you love Pikachu, and it hurt you when he attacked you, right?" she asked.

Ash nodded.

"Think of it this way: Pikachu didn't want to attack you, but his mind wasn't in control, so he did. He was probably glad when Gary knocked him down and you escaped, because he didn't want to hurt you anymore. If we leave him here and go, he'll be happy that you're safe from him and that you're finding a way to fix him."

Ash thought about her words. Finally, he looked at Mewtwo and nodded in agreement.

"Keep him safe Mewtwo."

A loud cry made everyone look up to figure out the source of the sound. It sounded like an enraged Pokèmon, but not just any random wild Pokèmon. Something powerful.

_"Lugia is here. It must have felt the tug of Pokèrus faintly. It will attack until the source of the problem is gone and Mew is freed. We have to free Mew first, or this region will have craters from Hyper Beams when Lugia's finished, and I've started to like it here. We should go now."_ Mewtwo said quickly, answering everyone's questions with a note of finality.

* * *

Pikachu's POV

We were just looking around the Gym. That's it. I had gone a little farther than Ash because I smelled something aromatic in the air and I was hoping it was from a Bellosom that was okay. I knew that smell in the Gym. Something had attacked everyone here. It made my fur bristle just thinking about it.

I ended up in a tiny space with some ground instead of grass. The faint smell I had found was gone now, and I was about to go back to Ash when I felt a tingle, like something bad was going to happen. It was strong, like a powerful Psychic Pokèmon was trying to warn me. Maybe other Pokèmon too. I'm not sure. All I know was that my thoughts were twisting into something more evil, like when a wild Pokèmon decides to attack another wild Pokèmon for fun.

I stayed still._ **Then**_**_ suddenly, I felt a human come closer to me. Humans were dangerous. My electricity pouches were somehow full and ready to burst. My tiny claws that most Pikachus use to break the skin of Berries felt sharper, and I knew the best spots to hit a human. Eyes, forehead, fingers, an important vein here or there. Even my teeth felt sharper when I touched them with my tongue. _**

"Pikachu, let's get going."

**_I said nothing, waiting for the human to get closer._**

"Pikachu?"

_**A part of me was fighting not to attack, but it wasn't enough to detour my mindset.**_

"Come on, it's time to leave."

_**As I felt skin brush my back, I twisted around and sunk my teeth into the first thing I could find, a finger. I held on pretty good until a kick startled me and I loosened my hold. That was enough for the human to get free. But I wasn't letting him escape. I shot a Thunderbolt at him with as much energy as I had, because I knew it would come back. This thing in my head was boosting my power, revitalizing my former energy. I never realized how much power a Pokèball reigned in when a Pokèmon was caught. I felt a surge of power energize me and I felt alive, better than I had in years! But out of nowhere, a thought came into my head.**_

_Ash is my friend, so why am I hurting him?_

**_That thought distracted me, and I didn't see the broken piece of wood hit me full force in the face. I was dazed, and my attack stopped as I fell over. I was about to get back up with a vengeance, but more thoughts came into my head, old thoughts that I fought to forget._**

_Leave Ash alone! He's our best friend, not an enemy! Why am I doing this? What's wrong with my head? I can't let this happen!_

I focused on one thing only, staying down. If I looked unconscious, they'd leave, thinking I was no longer a threat at the moment. Inside, I was struggling, fighting to stay rational. I wasn't in my right mind right now. I had to get help, but on my own. Being around Ash and the others would only make it harder to keep hold of myself.

But I wouldn't be able to do this for long.

* * *

**And that's the end of Chapter 30! I hope this was good, I really do. I'm considering doing the next chapter mostly with Pikachu's POV, because writing this felt interesting, like a whole new perspective of the Pokèrus problem. Tell me what you think of this idea. There will be breaks where you see everything in third person, but I think this could be fun. **

**Remember, the next update is ****4/6/15!**

**Goodbye for now,**

**Typhlosion8**


	31. A Crumbling Defence & The Trio

**Welcome back to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" I'm your host, Ty8, here with the newest instalment of ****In My Darkest Hour. ****Before we get too far into this, I'd like to remind everyone that I do not own Pokèmon. You should know this by now, but I'm saying it again.**

**Next update will be 4/13/15, so write it down on your calendars! **

**I'm not gonna talk a whole lot today, let's just get on with Chapter 31!**

* * *

The Rocket rushed up the stairwell and down the hall towards the large oak doors that were the only thing between him and the Boss. He knocked briskly and it felt hollow to him.

"Come in."

He walked in, his back straight and his eyes focused on the Boss.

"What is it that you are here for?"

The Grunt spoke a little bit faster than he should have, but he had an anxious feeling and had to get rid of it and leave the Boss's presence soon.

"Sir, the Pokèrus is getting stronger and the professor said that Mew has begun to control the stronger Pokèmon and Legendary Pokèmon. There were also sightings of Articuno by the Seafoam Islands, Zapdos in the Power Plant and Moltres nearby in the north by Mt. Silver. Executive Archer wants to know if he can go after them and capture the birds, sir."

He saw the unmistakable nod of Giovanni's head and hastily left the room to relay his messages.

Giovanni got out of his chair and walked up the stairwell in the hallway to the roof where his helicopter was waiting. Ariana smiled.

"Shall we go Boss?"

* * *

When it opened, the Cycling Road was well-known for the flat, easy to bicycle on pavement and beautiful view of the sea as you rode down the road and went through tunnels and enjoyed the breeze. About a year and a half later, the road had attracted not only Cyclists, but Bikers too. Slowly, there was more Bikers than Cyclists with their motorcycles and harsh language. Children were told to stay away by parents, and soon, it became a place for just Bikers. There were gangs of them forming and claiming territory along the Cycling Road as their own, as well as having battles that seemed to have no rules except for "Last one standing wins."

It was always risky to go down the road and brave being noticed by a Biker. Since the Cycling Road was meant to be an easier connection to Fuchsia City than Route 12, a seaside route that had many broken pathways and was becoming difficult to walk down after the many years since it was built, many trainers had little choice but to either fight their way to Fuchsia City or take the longer, safer route guarded by young trainers.

Ash, Misty and Jessie remembered it well. Ash and Misty came here with Brock once before, and met the bike gang that had taken over. Jessie had been part of the gang until she left and later joined Team Rocket. But things had changed, and that gang had obviously been chased away and a few new gangs had taken the Cycling Road for themselves.

They had only gotten just past Route 16 when a Pokèmon jumped out at them. It was a large and powerful looking Machoke, and the Superpower Pokèmon aimed a Cross Chop at May's head and almost hit. She barely escaped the attack.

"Careful! It's strong, but Machoke are more brawn than brains, so if we outwit it, we might be able to escape!" Gary yelled, and the group spread out.

A blue glow surrounded the Machoke, and Mewtwo seemed to smirk and sigh in frustration at the same time.

_"You're forgetting that I still have a certain level of control over my actions still. Not for much longer, but I can help a bit." _the psychic said.

"Right. Sorry." Gary said, feeling awkward.

"Hey! You kids get off our turf!"

A large bald man approached them. He had a black jacket and looked like a powerful trainer, except it was obvious that he'd been attacked by a Pokèmon earlier, probably his own.

"This route belongs to the Ferocious Fearow gang! Outsiders are not allowed." the man said. His voice was low and rough.

Several more gangsters surrounded the teens and quickly outnumbered them. Mewtwo was about to attack, but groaned instead, clutching his head. His eyes glowed a red colour and he began to throw spheres of psychic energy in random directions, nearly hitting both the Bikers and Ash's group.

"Mewtwo! It's us! We're helping you defeat Team Rocket and save the Pokèmon! I'm your friend!" Ash yelled, but that just seemed to draw Mewtwo's attention to him, like everything else was gone. The Bikers had fled from the Psychic Legendary Pokèmon quickly and everyone else had backed away.

_**"You're a human. To humans, Pokémon are tools, never equals. They are just a way for them to reach their own selfish goals. You are no friend." **_he said, and his voice sounded different, his cool, cold demeanour replaced with something else, a different voice that made him seem even less rational than he was once before.

"I am your friend! I care about you and other Pokèmon!"

But Mewtwo wasn't listening. His eyes glowed, and Ash was flung backwards.

"Mewtwo! You have to focus!"

* * *

Agatha was trying to mix an Antidote with some Pecha Berries with Brock for Professor Oak's slowly worsening Poisoning when Lorelei cried out in shock.

"Fire! There's a fire destroying everything!"

Everyone managed to get up, and were going towards the exits when they saw the blue creature leaping through the flames. It's very presence seemed to cool the heat of the fire. The dog jumped onto the roof of the Gym and howled out into the night. As it did, a heavy rain came and quenched the flames that scorched the city.

"That can't be Suicune, right? It never leaves Johto!" Silver exclaimed. The Legendary Pokèmon glanced at him, and it made a shiver go up his spine. As the dog leaped away, Silver swore he saw two others join it as it went east towards the Power Plant.

* * *

Pikachu's POV

I slammed my iron hard tail into to supposedly empty air and clashed against Mewtwo's shield again. I couldn't break it, no matter how much extra power I put into it. It didn't matter. I couldn't break through the Legendary Pokèmon's barrier. Not to mention, I was losing my grip on my mind.

_**Without warning, my rouge side took over again, and I swung another Iron Tail, much stronger, at the barrier, only to see it disappear before I could hit it.**_

_**Perfect. Now I can find someone to take out my frustration on. I growled, and went towards Route 16. I could smell the human's smell, and followed it to the Cycling Road. I had gone down this road before with my human trainer before. It had been pretty clean, some graffiti here and there. Now, it seemed like a disaster had hit and broke the place apart. Chunks of the road were sitting everywhere, and a purple Pokèmon was attacking. Some cowardly humans ran from it in fright, but one stayed. I saw the purple Pokèmon throw the human back, and a twinge of emotion hit me. Was it fear, or was it anger?**_

_**I jumped forward and was about to attack the humans too. My electricity danced on my cheeks, and I fired it, but at the last second, changed direction and aimed at the purple Pokèmon! My Thunderbolt was pretty strong, because the Pokèmon groaned in pain. I grinned. This was what fun was!**_

_**Soon, I had knocked the Pokèmon unconscious and was ready to attack the humans that had backed away a bit from me. I snarled, and was about to jump at them when something wrapped around me tightly. The human boy had grabbed me! Angered, I struggled, but wasn't strong enough to escape.**_

"Calm down Pikachu. Take control of your head. Fight the Pokèrus's power." **he said to me.**

_**I cried out in anger, scratching at his arms. Something twinged again, and I slowly took a few breaths as my rational mind took over again.**_

Then I recognized Ash and gave a sigh.

"Pikachuu..." I mewled, and my vision went black as I went limp in his arms.

* * *

Zapdos flew up into the dark, clouded skies as rain poured upon him. He called out, and thunder boomed in the night. Strange, dark pink darts were being shot at him, but they missed. His feathers crackled with lightning as bolts of lightning raced down from the sky and fried the Rockets. Zapdos felt Lugia speak to him.

_You must hurry. Destroy anything in your path. Find Mew._

As he flew away, an immense lightning bolt struck down onto the Power Plant and it erupted into flames that died out quickly in the drizzle. It didn't even notice the legendary dogs following it on Ho-Oh's orders.

* * *

**That's it for today, I'm afraid. I'll see you next time, of course. And can you guys please vote on my poll on my profile? Thanks!**

**Goodbye for now,**

**Ty8**


	32. The Change In Bulbasaur

**Yes, it's my, Ty8, here with "Typhlosion8's Weird-" _*static*_**

_"We interrupt this broadcast for an important announcement. Team Rocket, only a few hours ago, took control of the Johto Pokèmon League. Rocket Grunts have been terrorizing the streets. If you see Team Rocket, you are advised to stay indoors. For those of you on the many different routes, stay hidden in deep foliage or dark caves. Avoid Pokèmon at all costs. Please, remain calm-" *background movement, human cries*_

_"Hello, this is Giovanni, head of Team Rocket. As the new leader of Johto, I advise all to remain calm. As long as you abide by the rules, we won't hurt you. If you rebel, I will allow innocent people to be __killed. __I hope this is understood. Good day."_

**Um...**

**That's bad.**

* * *

_Goldenrod City, Johto_

The Houndoom jumped onto DJ Ben, who cried out, but was soon motionless. Rocket Grunts nearby imeadetly killed the Dark/Fire type when it turned towards them with it's eerie red eyes and a snarl.

"This was too easy." Giovanni chuckled, and Ariana nodded.

"Yes, no one has any chance of defeating us without Pokèmon. Our forces are brutal. All we need is for the Legendary Pokèmon to begin attacking and we'll have the whole region to ourselves."

"Yes. I suggest that we send Grunts to the larger cities to stand guard. We don't want any rebels to start joining forces." the Rocket Boss said with a chuckle, but his tone was dead serious.

* * *

Ash silently worried as he walked down the Cycling Road with Misty, May, Gary, Jessie and James. Mewtwo had flown off, most likely attacking something else farther away from them, but they couldn't worry about that right now.

Ash's real worry was that Pikachu, who was now walking with them again as well, would lose it and attack. The little mouse would shiver every once in a while and stand for a few seconds with his fur bristled and in an attack position, and the group would back away until he calmed down.

When they got to the gate to Fuchsia City, they were shocked to see Rockets guarding the gate.

"How do we get through now?" May asked.

"Yeah, without Pokèmon, we'll never be able to beat them." James said solemnly. Gary was going to say something, but stopped when a shrieking noise startled them all and they quickly glanced up.

A bird flew above their heads, shimmering in shades of blue from the deepest depths of the ocean to the palest of ice. As it soared, storm clouds started to gather, and began to lightly hail.

"You don't think that's..." Misty gasped. Ash finished the sentence for her.

"It looks like Articuno. But why is a Legendary Pokèmon here?"

Their question was answered as the peaceful snowfall began to grow in power, suddenly becoming a raging blizzard of razor winds and freezing cold slate. With nowhere to take cover, everyone shook as the cold quickly overwhelmed their bodies.

"I-It must b-be falling under Pokèrus's spell l-like Mewt-two did!"

And just as quickly as Articuno came, an enormous creature leapt into the snow, and it melted away around it. An orb of red energy flew up into the air, and a blazing sun emerged, melting the icy terror with it's warmth.

Soon there was no signs of the sudden blizzard. The coldness they felt was gone like a sudden wind shift, and the group relaxed. Gary pointed to the creature.

"That's Entei! One of the Legendary Dogs of Johto! Why is it here in Kanto?"

* * *

Bulbasaur ran off through Lavender Town. After the fire in Cerulean City, Lance had urged Silver to go to Fuchsia City and make sure things weren't going the same way and that Janine, the leader of the rebels down there, was okay. He had also convinced Brock to go as well, and the breeder was happy to travel.

"Slow down Bulbasaur! Wait up!" Brock called out. Silver didn't mind the little Grass/Poison type running off. Exercise was good for him. Brock was right about him leaving them behind, though. The two men ran to catch up with the Seed Pokèmon.

Once they all took a quick rest at the Pokèmon Centre, the trio walked down Route 12, only to see a strange sight.

There were things scattered in the sea. Household objects, pillows, Super Potions, Oran Berries and more, like a hurricane had washed them into the waters. But the weirdest thing imaginable was there. A giant Pikachu mecha.

"It looks like the items are coming from Route 11." Brock said. Silver frowned.

"Doesn't that road connect to Vermillion City?" he questioned. Brock nodded.

"Bulba..."

Silver glanced towards the starter. He wasn't as energetic as before. Now, he was kneeling on the pathway ducking his head with his eyes closed tight.

"Bulbasaur..."

"Are you okay Bulbasaur?" Brock asked, and started to walk towards the plant, but Silver grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Something's not right."

Suddenly, Bulbasaur's eyes snapped open, and their natural red colour was different. They had an almost eerie glow to them. He crouched in an attack position.

"Bulbasaur!"

Razor-sharp leaves flew at them. Most of them missed, but one caught Silver's hand and left a deep red line.

"Something's wrong with Bulbasaur. Back away, Brock." he said, stumbling slightly. His hand was dripping red onto the planks of the boardwalk.

Brock hastily backed up as far as he could, and Silver followed, speaking slowly.

"Bulbasaur... why are you attacking us? We're your friends. Is something wrong?" he asked. The Grass/Poison type hissed at them.

"Saur!" he cried out, and whip-like vines came out from behind his bulb, aiming for Silver's leg. He managed to avoid getting caught though.

"Bulbasaur, calm down!" Brock yelled. But the Seed Pokèmon couldn't really hear their words. Pokèrus had taken over.

* * *

Articuno swerved back around towards Entei, and even from a distance, you could see the bright red colour of it's eyes.

"CUUUUUUNNNOOO!" it cried out, and the cry was pained. The Pokèrus was too strong for it too resist.

"It's coming right for us!" Jessie yelled, and she and James ducked behind a bush.

Entei seemed to radiate heat. With a low growl that rivalled erupting volcanoes, it jumped at Articuno, knocking the bird out of the sky. It crashed to the ground and tried to get back up. As it did, the air dropped a few degrees. Entei blew a light Flamethrower, and the Legendary Bird fainted.

No one said a word, nor did they notice that Entei had disappeared. Ash looked towards the gates leading towards Fuchsia City. The guards had fled the scene when Articuno's blizzard came.

"Well, on the bright side, Team Rocket left. Shall we go to Fuchsia?"

* * *

**Hey guys. I hope you read this, because this is important. I recently realized that I can write 3 chapters in advance for a completely different story (LIT), but writing this one was like forcing Ash's Pikachu into it's Pokèball. It wasn't working. I managed to pull this one together though, somehow. I feel like the story isn't going anywhere right now. Even though the characters are moving through Kanto, the backstory, the action, the real excitement isn't following them. You guys know and so do I that these chapters feel like filler. So I won't be updating next week. I'm going to use some advice I was given and write out some stuff. Maybe I'll have the ending all finished and saved for later. Who knows? But I will hopefully update 4/27/15, and if I do, you'll know I'm feeling inspired and will start updating again. If I don't, then give me a little more time, because no matter what, I _will _finish this story. Don't worry about that.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and helped me get to 100. It means a lot to me. Thanks to the 11,163 people who have viewed this story too and gave it a chance. **

**Goodbye for now,**

**Typhlosion8**


	33. The Awkward Reunion & A New Path

**Hey guys, and welcome to a new episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!" I'm back, your host Ty8, after my short break. Sorry I made you wait, but it will have been worth it in the long run!**

**As you all should know by now, I do NOT own Pokèmon, but I wish I did, because that would be awesome. But unfortunately, I'll own Pokèmon the day I own a Cyndaquil that can toast s'mores for me.**

**Next update will hopefully be on time, but I make no promises. Fingers crossed.**

* * *

The two trainers, one tall and dark haired, the other shorter and red haired, ran down the strange, unnaturally snowy Route 15, their eyes searching the trees nearby for Pokèmon. They'd learned the hard way already that Pokèmon were not themselves, and a Rattata nearly blinding the taller trainer proved this theory.

They had been running for hours, and the routes were long, but the thought of Bulbasaur's sudden anger didn't make sense, and they needed to find out why it had come. They couldn't go back to Lavender with Bulbasaur blocking the way, so Fuchsia was their only option.

They dashed through the mysteriously unguarded gate and straight into Fuchsia City. There was snow there as well, lightly falling, but a blazing sun was breaking through the dark clouds and quickly melted the snow and began shining on Route 15.

"Silver, I think we're safe in the city." Brock said, looking around for possible Pokèmon. Silver nodded.

"Yeah, I'm guessing that most cities have quickly gotten rid of any Pokèmon within their boundaries," he said, and the words sent a shiver through the Pokèmon Doctor.

"We should find someone who can explain this." Brock said, and the two started walking towards the Pokèmon Centre when something caught Silver's eye.

"Pokèmon dead ahead." he whispered, pointing to a small four legged creature sitting near a boy who was leaning on the trunk of a tree. Brock squinted, trying to make out the type of Pokèmon it was. **(A/N I just realized how weird that sounds considering Brock's eyes are never open...)**

"It's a Pikachu..." he stated quietly. Silver slowly stepped closer, and gasped when he saw a familiar raven haired boy leaning against the tree near the rodent.

"Ash?"

The teen turned his head sharply to figure out the source of his name, and looked equally surprised.

"Silver? How did you get here?"

**.:why isn't my line working?!:.**

**{Line Break}**

Even after Ash had gotten his friends over and told their own side of the story, Silver never let his eyes stray from Pikachu. The mouse would be fine one moment and then growling the next with red eyes, but they would disappear as quickly as they came. Brock looked happy to see Misty and Gary but surprised to see May, Jessie and James. The frightening story of how May caught Meowth and Pikachu attacked Ash didn't faze Silver but Brock seemed worried about Pikachu.

"Ash, the amount of energy it's taking for him to hold on like that is probably not good for him. The longer he resists, the worse it might be later. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

But Ash was stubborn, reassuring his friends that Pikachu was fine and would be fine, even though the mouse's struggle contradicted this.

Gary started to tell his more recent story of talking to Janine, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader, ever since Koga had disappeared when the Rockets took over. She was also the leader of the rebels down south. After going to the Gym with James and Misty while the others rested at the Pokèmon Centre, they had been lead to a hidden room in the Gym where Janine told of the problems in the city.

"Things were bad. When the Pokèmon started attacking, many people didn't understand what was happening, so the Pokèmon managed to-" Gary's voice caught on the word, but they all knew what happened. The Pokèrus made Pokèmon into deadly creatures.

Gary shuddered before continuing.

"Now there's less than half the population. It didn't help that the Poison type Pokèmon were able to fatally poison many people, so even if they did survive the attacks, they died anyway because of the toxins. The Pokèmon Centre is being used as a hospital of sorts and people are scared."

"Anything about Team Rocket or Mew?" Ash asked. Silver and Brock seemed confused, but listened to the reply.

"Janine said that Team Rocket had been going south past Fuchsia and towards Route 19." Gary answered.

"The closest town from there is Cinnabar Island, but why would Team Rocket be going there?" May asked the question they were all wondering."

"Yeah, it's not that fast of a route to pass through, especially when they could sneak through Mt. Moon and walk through Pewter City," Misty said.

"Actually, Mt. Moon sorta, uh, collapsed." Silver said, feeling awkward for the first time that day.

"Wait, it collapsed?" Ash said, confused. Silver nodded.

"Team Rocket followed me there and we were attacked. I may have hit a wall with a powerful Water attack, and the whole thing nearly fell on me. I would have been trapped if Bulbasaur hadn't learned Flash to help me get out."

Ash seemed intrigued. "You have a Bulbasaur?"

"Actually, it's not mine. I'm pretty sure it was yours."

Shock flashed across Ash's face.

"Where is he?"

"He started attacking us on Route 12. We think Pokèrus took over. Also, do any of you know why there was a ton of water coming from Vermillion and a strange Pikachu mecha sitting by the boardwalk?" Brock said, and earned a few embarrassed looks from the Ex-Team Rocket.

"About that..." Jessie said slowly.

"We _may_ have built a Pikachu mecha to save the twerps and _may_ have left it in Vermillion when the strange flood hit..." James finished Jessie's sentence.

"How _do _you guys build Pokèmon mechas so quickly with so little resources anyway?" May asked.

"A magician never reveals their secret." Jessie said, sticking her tongue out at the brunette.

"But what about the water?" Silver pressed on.

"It started raining hard, and didn't stop." Misty said.

"Actually, the rain wasn't natural. A Legendary Pokèmon must have triggered it. No rainfall could last that long and be that powerful." Gary interrupted.

"On the bright side, Team Rocket was wiped out there, but everyone else was too." Ash said sadly.

"Well, things aren't getting any better. Our best shot at ending this chaos is by stopping Team Rocket once and for all, so our only chance is by following them to Cinnabar Island. From there, we might find some clues as to what's happening. I'm going. Are you guys coming or not?" Silver said cooly.

"I'm going. Team Rocket is the reason for all the Pokèmon becoming like this. I can't just leave them all like this." Ash said, and Pikachu gave a little cheer.

"I'll follow Ash." Misty said, and Brock nodded. "Me too."

Gary gave a smug grin. "I guess you guys do need the great Gary Oak to save the day," he said, and the others managed to give a smile.

"I'll go too! I'm always up for an adventure." May said. Silver glanced at Jessie and James, who hadn't said anything.

"Well?" he scowled, impatient.

"you guys are welcome to join us." Ash said cheerfully.

"Then we're in, twerp." Jessie said.

And with that, the strange group walked off towards Route 19. Little did they know, the road was about to get much more dangerous from there.

* * *

**And that's the end of my short chapter. I hope you guys thought it was a bit better. Please, tell me what you thought. If I start feeling inspired, you can be guaranteed that next week, there'll be an update, so stay tuned!**

**Goodbye for now,**

**Typhlosion8**


	34. Loopholes & Doubt

**Hey guys, and welcome to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!"**

**Aw, who am I kidding? I've got nothing to talk about today! So just relax, and enjoy this chapter of IMDH! And I'll see you next Monday!**

* * *

The plan was really quite simple. Since using Pokèmon to get them across the water wasn't an option, their first plan (named "Super Sneaky Battle Plan" by Ash in a moment of his truly unusual mind) going to get someone to captain a boat for them over to Cinnabar Island and from there, they would defeat the Team Rocket members there and then find out what they were doing.

Plan two (named "The Other Secret Battle Plan" _once again_ by Ash) was that they found a Team Rocket boat and snuck onto that. After arriving on Cinnabar Island, they would, once again, defeat the Team Rocket members and find out what they were doing. It was a very simple plan.

Gary was counting their group members at the moment, trying to figure out how many of them there was now.

_Ash, Misty, Brock, myself, Jessie, James, May and Silver. Eight of us in total. At least we can divide evenly still if we need to._

The others were currently sleeping in the former "Pokèmon Centre". There was plenty of space for people, even with the cramped quarters. Pokèmon Centres were very spacious, and it was unlikely that they would overfill. Sometimes, in horrible stormy weather or hailstorms, people would all be fleeing to the same one, but even then there was usually enough room.

Gary himself was sitting on the couch in the lobby, thinking about the many problems with their plan.

Almost none of them had doubted that the plan would fail or go horribly wrong. Silver did seem disbelieving, but everyone else had been eager to do whatever it took and didn't seem to realize that there were so many different possibilities for a mishap. They could never find passage to Cinnabar. They could get in a shipwreck, which was likely in the strange storm, probably caused by wild Pokèmon. Or, the worst outcome, they could be captured and killed by Team Rocket. There were more possibilities, but Gary didn't really think about those others. In his mind, only three stood out. How could only Silver and him not see these loopholes?

"You're not the only one."

Ash appeared out of nowhere. Seeing the look of shock on his friend's face, he gave a small grin.

"You were speaking out loud. I came down for some water, and heard you mention loopholes. It was pretty obvious what you were thinking about."

Gary sighed, shifting to make room on the couch. Ash sat down.

Ash had been his friend for years, and out of the two of them, he was the reckless one. Gary would be the one to think about things a little more or double-check their plans when they decided to go on adventures around Pallet Town. And although he could still see that recklessness in Ash, something had changed. The raven haired teen was actually... growing up? Maybe becoming more aware of the dangers in life? He had no idea. But Ash wasn't the same teenager that he was that day Gary had seen him on the videophone back a few years ago. That Ash was gone, and wasn't coming back. There was only this new Ash, more serious and understanding. He knew how strong Team Rocket was and really stood up to them. But sometimes, a different side of Ash would flicker, the side that reminded Gary of other days, when things were better.

"Ash, you realize that there are so many ways this could go wrong, right? This is really risky." Gary asked. Ash nodded.

"Yes. But I like to think that the ways it can go right and their results are worth that risk." he replied with a calm tone. His logical reasoning surprised Gary once more.

Ash must have noticed, because he did his flicker back into cheery mode.

"Besides, think of all the Pokèmon we could save once we find out exactly how they're being controlled! Everything will be better again!"

Gary laughed, a real laugh that seemed to lift the sad atmosphere a little. Maybe Ash was right. Maybe this would actually work.

* * *

"Okay, everyone ready to go?"

A chorus of "Yes!" reached his ears. Ash grinned.

"Good. Remember, don't release your Pokèmon, because they won't listen to you. Once we get to Cinnabar Island, we'll split up and search. Don't forget your groups."

More nods came.

"Last but not least, if you do end up captured, unless you're really gutsy and have a small death wish, do not anger any Team Rocket Grunts, Executives, or Giovanni himself. Do not say a word unless you are answering a question, and do not make any cheeky comments. These will probably end up with you being injured physically in some way, and you will definitely make said person more brutal on someone else, which could be one of us that might have also been caught. So speak only when spoken to." Ash finished, and there wasn't really a response for this, but he didn't expect one. Everyone was probably a bit more relaxed because it felt like one of those easy rescue missions or one of those really easy battles where good guys always win. But this was serious, and if they didn't take it seriously, things would go badly.

"Now, let's kick some Team Rocket butt!" he shouted, and there was a small cheer.

* * *

But of course, when their group got to the gate, they were blocked by Officer Jenny.

"Sorry, but it's not safe beyond this point. Wild Pokèmon are out there, and there have been sightings of Team Rocket as well. You should all go back towards the city."

That was when May stepped up and gave a smile.

"Don't you know who we are? We're the best and the brightest of the Alliance, and we were sent here to follow Team Rocket to their secret destination and stop their plans. And if Lance, a personal friend of mine, found out that you were halting our plans when we were supposed to complete our mission immediately, him being mad would be an understatement." she said, and Officer Jenny looked at each of them, probably trying to size them up and decide whether their story was true. Recognition seemed to flash over her eyes when she saw Ash, and gasped.

"I thought you were that kid that defeated the Elite Four a few years ago. They said you were a part of Team Rocket." she said, slightly glaring.

But Ash seemed like he had prepared for reactions like this, because his lines were smooth and he didn't seem to stumble.

"I was working undercover as a Rocket, trying to spy on them. Team Rocket found out, and forced me to be one of their pawns. If I didn't, they would have hurt my friends and family, so I agreed. Yes, in the end, they did take over Indigo Plateau, but I am working hard to take it away from them. Lance himself has spoken to me and said that what happened was not my fault, and could have happened to anyone in my place. That doesn't mean that I don't think about it every day and wonder if I had declined them, would things still be like this?"

Officer Jenny was speechless, and just moved out of the way. As they passed, she seemed to wipe a little at her eyes.

* * *

"Ash, was it true? What you said to Officer Jenny about remembering it every day?" Misty asked as they walked towards the beach. Ash nodded.

"I'll never forget that day, when I was told that if I did not agree to follow Giovanni's plans and agree to defeat the Elite Four, he would kill my mom, Gary, Professor Oak, everyone. You and Brock, May, her brother Max, Dawn, everyone. He said that anyone I had ever spoken to would be gone. They would have probably made it look like my fault too, so even if I did escape to the outside world again, I would be accused of murder."

The red haired girl gave a small gasp. She could't believe how pressured he'd been. She had heard the story of what happened, and knew that the Rocket Boss had said something to convince Ash, but the thought of taking his place and having to decide whether to go against everything she believed to save everyone else was indescribable.

But Ash wasn't done speaking. His voice dropped a bit.

"But if I could go back and do something else, something that might have changed everything, like not agreeing with Giovanni, like not going into the Team Rocket base, like not letting Team Rocket finally escape with Pikachu, like never letting myself stray from Brock on that boat, like never leaving Sinnoh at all, would everything be like this? Would Vermillion be wiped off the map and Mt. Moon still a mountain and not a pile of rubble? Would Pikachu be normal again, like every other Pokèmon? Did one thing I do ruin everything?"

He didn't even seem to be talking to her anymore, more to himself.

"Ash, the past is the past. We need to focus on now, and how we can fix things now. And one day, everything will be okay again." Misty said, and for a moment, when she looked up at Ash and caught his eyes, there was a spark of something between them, she was sure of it. Then he nodded, and the spark was gone when his eye contact broke.

* * *

Silver was about to call out to Misty And Ash, who were falling behind, when he spotted a Pokèmon that was staying a little bit behind him. It seemed very cautious.

"Is that... a Porygon?"

* * *

**Did you think I forgot Porygon? (If we're being honest, I did, but remembered him!)**

**And a small Pokèshippy moment. There isn't much time for romance in this, but I'll try and put it in there again. ****And I promise, next chapter, the action will get in there! For now, this is Typhlosion8, saying goodbye for now!**


	35. The Plan Unfolds: The Start Of The End

**Hello and welcome everyone! I'm Ty8, host of another awesome episode of"Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!"  
**

**First off, I'd like to remind you all that the next update is 5/25/15, so be ready! **

**Second, I'd like to happily announce that I'm feeling better about writing IMDH again, and everything is flowing much better. Thanks to everyone who waited for me to update again after that break in April, I really appreciate it. And thank you also _ChocoChipKitty_and _QUEENSPELLER67_ for reviewing on what seems like every chapter!**

**Oh, and I did change something. In this story, Ash got his Cinnabar Gym Badge at an actual Gym like regular trainers do instead of a volcano, because there isn't one in my story... _yet._**

**Let's get on with Chapter 35!**

* * *

Silver was about to call out to Misty And Ash, who were falling behind, when he spotted a Pokèmon that was staying a little bit behind him. It seemed very cautious.

"Is that... a Porygon?"

May, the closest one to him, started to laugh a bit. He looked at her like she was nuts, until she ran towards Porygon. Then alarm bells rang in Silver's mind.

"May, that's a Pokèmon!" he shouted. She turned around with Porygon scooped in her arms.

"I know that! But Porygon isn't affected like other Pokèmon. It's man-made, and has no connection to Mew."

She looked down at the strange Pokèmon and petted it's head.

"You're Mewtwo's Porygon, aren't you?" she asked, and the Virtual Pokèmon nodded, calling out a strange sounding blipping noise that sounded a little like it's name.

"Then you can stay with us, and I'll carry you." May said, and walked back over towards the others.

* * *

Gary got their attention, and pointed towards the sea.

"Guys, it looks like there's no boats here, so the first plan is ruined."

"It has a name!" Ash shouted back at him. The researcher groaned.

"I'm not going to use the name!" he replied angrily.

"Not important!" James yelled out, and they seemed to cool down a bit.

"But Team Rocket is nowhere in sight either. What about our backup plan?" Misty asked.

"Use the names guys!" Ash called out. Everyone else just looked at him, and the combined effort silenced him.

"Well, we can't really do anything but wait, I guess." Brock said, and everyone seemed to quietly agree. Gary sat down on the beach and watched as the water licked at the sand. He had this calm feeling, almost peaceful.

"Hey, does anyone else have a bad feeling about right now?" Jessie asked. Almost like they were waiting, people jumped out from hiding everywhere, and the red _**R**_ on their shirts pretty much declared their side.

At least it was over quickly.

* * *

Turns out, Team Rocket had a boat, and was going to load and unload it, but their agent, the Fuchsia City Officer Jenny (who wasn't even an actual Officer Jenny, she just was really good with disguises) warned them before they did and told them that a group of rebels were preparing to attack them. Team Rocket quickly set up a capture plan, and the Alliance people were easy to take prisoner.

"So, what is our plan when we all get caught?" Gary asked Ash, who was currently next to him. Everyone had been tied up and placed in the cargo compartment lower down in the boats since Team Rocket hadn't _actually_ thought that people would be crazy enough to actually sneak onto their boats, and had no need to take prisoners with them to their destination, so they had no real holding cells. Pikachu had not been killed, somehow, and Porygon was in the cage next to the mouse.

"Truthfully, I hadn't really thought this far, but give me a few minutes, and I might have something," was the reply, so Gary waited. And waited. And he was about to ask Ash again if he had any ideas when the door to the cargo compartment slid open and Rockets came in and yanked them all to their feet rather forcefully and pulled them back to the exit.

They had no actual plan, which meant that everything was going to be chaos. The only question was when.

* * *

They were pushed and shoved across the sandy beaches of what used to be a thriving tourist destination. Cinnabar Island was once one of Kanto's most popular places to visit. It was a beautiful place, and both people and Pokèmon could enjoy themselves on the island.

But once Team Rocket had taken over, the island went under siege because Team Rocket had cut off all boat sending supplies there. Soon, people began to flee, and many went to the nearest safe place, the Orange Archipelagos. Back then, Team Rocket was busy trying to settle the unrest and rebellions still in Kanto, and Giovanni didn't really seem to care about the Orange Islands. Even now, Team Rocket was busy, and ignored the unimportant land.

Now, Cinnabar Island had been captured, and Blaine had gone missing. No one had known because of how hard it was to get out here, so far away from civilization. But, Gary realized, Team Rocket wasn't as smart as they thought they were.

Because even their scientists should have noticed that Mt. Cinnabar was looking strange at the top. A large bulge was there, and still growing. And that meant, maybe today, maybe in a few months, Mt. Cinnabar would change from a mountain to a volcano, and wipe out anything and anyone living there.

The odd group was "escorted" into a laboratory at the foot of the mountain. It was almost as large as Professor Oak's in Pallet Town, the only size difference being the absence of a field for Pokèmon to roam.

Inside, there was shiny silver instruments and tools. Vicious snarls could be heard from cages holding Pokèmon inside. An Aerodactyl (thought to be extinct) was repeatedly pounding on a particularly sturdily-made cage, but the metal bars were bending outward, and were probably going to snap with a few more hits. Even the Grunts were as far as possible from it.

"Where do we put them, sir?" One Grunt asked. Two others put down the cages with Pikachu and Porygon onto one of the many tables.

"Nearby. I want them to see how powerful Team Rocket really is. And bring Subject 001 in here!" the scientist called back. He then turned to the group and started studying them all. It was creepy, in a way.

"Wait a minute. Aren't you two those Rocket Grunts that disappeared a few years back?" he asked, looking at Jessie and James. They didn't answer him, but he didn't seem to care.

"I guess I should explain Team Rocket's big Pokèmon plan. It's really quite amazing."

"It all started years ago, when the old Team Rocket leader, Madame Boss, became obsessed with the Mythical Pokèmon Mew. She wrote multiple files on the pink, cat-like creature. But more recently, Giovanni found these. He decided to find Mew, the original Mew. Before that, though, he found a Fossil hidden in Mt. Moon. It was a piece of an Aerodactyl's claw. Razor sharp, it was, and we had just enough to revive the Fossil into the dinosaur over there." the scientist said, pointing at the Aerodactyl.

"We found traces of Pokèrus in it, and with a bit of tinkering, changes the original DNA codes it Aerodactyl to make the Pokèrus stay indefinitely. We then extracted some of it's blood and removed the Pokèrus from the sample and injected it into Mew. From there, it was even easier. Mew, being connected to all Pokèmon, transferred it to every Pokèmon there is, and now, chaos is the result. Without Pokèmon, citizens have no way of defending themselves from us, Team Rocket."

"Who are you?" Silver asked. The man smiled.

"Me? I am Dr. Fuji."

* * *

_"Sir? We have word at the main base from a Rocket Grunt. Eight people were seen on Route 19. They were caught easily. Most of them are teenagers, and quite a few of them had been identified as Alliance people from a different sighting. One of them also looks like that teen who escaped from Rocket HQ a few weeks ago. They are currently on Cinnabar Island, and the Rockets there are waiting for your instruction on what to do next."_

Giovanni smirked.

"Leave them there for now. I'll be returning to Kanto soon, once I get what I came here for."

_"Yes, sir."_

Giovanni hung up the PokèGear and tucked it in his pocket. He looked at the famous Bell Tower. Soon, it's inhabitant would be free no longer.

* * *

A few Grunts brought in a much larger cage, and it was reenforced with thick metal that looked impossible to bend, stronger than even Aerodactyl's.

"Mew." Ash whispered, looking at the small pink Pokèmon. The Psychic type gave a wail, and a powerful pulse of energy shook the room. the few Rockets in the room fled.

"It's in pain!" Brock shouted.

"You've gone to new lows, Team Rocket!" Misty yelled, but Fuji just laughed.

"No, we're just doing whatever it takes to get Kanto, and soon Johto, into the palms of our hands. Team Rocket will slowly take over, and there won't be any brave Pokèmon trainers to stop us, because there'll be no more friendly Pokèmon until Mew here is freed from Pokèrus."

He walked over to his desk and pulled out a dark pink vial of a liquid he sucked it into a syringe, he began to talk again.

"Now, the two Pokèmon you somehow brought with you both seem to resist the effects of the virus. I plan on fixing that problem."

He went over to Porygon's cage. Ash heard Mewtwo's words in his head again, from what seemed like so long ago.

_"Porygon is a man-made Pokèmon. It cannot be affected by Pokèrus unless given the disease directly because it has none of Mew's genes."_

Porygon was finally going to succumb to Pokèrus too.

The Virtual Pokèmon made a beeping cry as Dr. Fuji injected it with some of the Pokèrus on a soft spot near it's neck. Almost instantly, it made a screechy noise and slammed into the cage with new power. Fuji turned to Pikachu, who began sparking as his eyes flickered red.

"Pi_kaaa..._" the mouse growled, sounding just as ferocious as the many other Pokèmon in the lab.

Fuji wasn't frightened, and jabbed the needle into Pikachu's arm. Everyone in the room went silent if they weren't already, knowing about Pikachu's special resistance. Would he be able to withstand this?

The Team Rocket scientist backed away with the last dregs of his Pokèrus and watched as Pikachu struggled inside the cage. The electric mouse was shaking, and you could see his sharp teeth clenched together. But then it stopped shaking, and stood up on it's hind legs calmly, giving what looked like a smirk at the Rocket Doctor.

"How does it continue to resist?" Fuji asked, and began pacing the room. "Is there something special about this Pikachu?"

It was then that James, one of the most creative people in the room, (and you would've had to've been if you continued to try and build mechas with Jessie and Meowth trying to catch the uncatchable Pikachu) got a brilliant idea.

He somehow got Ash's attention, who looked at him with confusion. James was nodding his head in Pikachu's direction, and mouthing something to him. It looked like he was saying _blast off the dragon._

_What?_ he mouthed back at him. _James is losing his marbles..._

Then it clicked.

_Thunderbolt Aerodactyl._

He had to act fast, and there was a chance that Pikachu's cage was electricity-proof, but he had to try.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Aerodactyl!" he shouted out. Fuji yelled out a warning, but it was too late.

"_Pikachu!_"

With an evil snarl, Pikachu released as much power as it had into one final attack. The Thunderbolt arced towards the Fossil Pokèmon, and it screeched in pain when it was hit. Enraged, not to mention infected, it finally tore through the bars like they were paper and flew out of it's cell, shredding through Pikachu's too with it's massive razor claws. Pikachu ran over to Ash and chewed through his bonds, then continued to bite through the others as well.

Rockets were swarming the room, and didn't seem to notice them, instead focusing their energy on taking Aerodactyl out. But they were no match for the prehistoric dragon who was bloodthirsty as it killed Grunt after Grunt that got too close to it.

"Wait! What about Mew?" May asked. Jessie, the closest person to her, shook her head.

"No time. We have to focus on saving ourselves right now."

Silver pushed the door open wide and ushered everyone outside.

"Let's get out of here before this situation gets any worse!" Gary called out, and the group did their best to stick together in the frenzy.

Of course, because these things always happen at the worst time, and because this is supposed to be a complete disaster chapter, I think you know what happened next.

The ground shifted under their feet, and rolled as it cracked in a large split, dividing the one group into two and revealing crumbling earth in between the gap too wide to jump. Ash, Jessie, Brock, and May were on the left, and Silver, Gary, James and Misty were on the right.

With a rumble that shook the island, and a roar that echoed for miles farther, Mt. Cinnabar erupted in a fiery explosion of pure fury.

"Nice work, Gary. You jinxed it." Misty said, and the sarcasm was quite obvious.

* * *

**And, yes, how did you not see it coming?**

**Since I'm feeling nice, I'll give you a hint on something that was mentioned in the last paragraph. Fuji mentions something about Ash's ****Pikachu. (it's really the only Pikachu ever mentioned.) _THIS IS IMPORTANT. __For another hint, flip back to Chapter 2. More will be revealed, probably closer to the end. But if you noticed what I mentioned and realized what's going on, kudos to you!_**

**See you later,**

**Typhlosion8**


	36. Lugia's Fury

**!8noisolhpyT ,em s'tI !elpoep modnar ereht olleH**

**!63 retpahC gnidaer nuf evaH !nac I esuaceB ?yhW !sdrawkcab gnitirw m'I yadoT**

***snirg yllive***

* * *

.esion eht revo enoyreve ot drah saw tI .detuohs yaM "?od ew od tahW !gnitpure s'onaclov ehT"

.daeh sih koohs hsA .deksa eisseJ "meht htiw rehtegot teg ew od woH !sprewt rehto eht detarapes er'eW"

.pag eht ssorca mih raeh dluoc srehto eht ,wohemos dna ,delley "!ylkciuq dna ,dnalsi eht ffo gnitteg tuoba yrrow ot evah eW .won thgir t'nod eW"

.deerga yltnelis revliS ,edis retho eht nO

.deddon puorg llams sih dna ,dias eh "!sirbed rof tuo hctaw dna detarapes teg t'nod tub ,dnif nac uoy taht noitatropsnart fo snaem yna rof kooL .tsrif elbissop sa ereh morf yawa raf teg s'teL .thgir si hsA"

* * *

**...wols ylsuoidet dnA !od ot drah yllaer si sihT .esaelP ?taht daer uoy ekam d'I kniht yllaer uoy diD**

(**Did you really think I'd make you read that? Please. This is really hard to do! And tediously slow...)**

**Here's the real chapter! ^_^**

**Oh, and to the Guest _sharpedofile_, Meowth was captured by May in Chapter 29 after almost slicing Misty to pieces, which is why you didn't see him.**

* * *

"The volcano's erupting! What do we do?" May shouted. It was hard to hear everyone over the noise.

"We're separated from the other twerps! How do we get back together with them?" Jessie asked. Ash shook his head.

"We don't right now. We have to worry about getting off the island, and quickly!" he yelled, and somehow, the others could hear him across the gap.

On the other side, Silver silently agreed.

"Ash is right. Let's get as far away from here as possible first. Look for any means of transportation that you can find, but don't get separated and watch out for debris!" he said, and his small group nodded.

* * *

The ground started to shake again, and Misty stumbled as she tried to keep up with her friends. The small earthquake before the volcano erupted had separated them, and the two groups were forced to go and look for an escape, even if it meant leaving the other group behind. Right now, the only thing on everyone's minds was _flee._

James called out to them over the noise and pointed to a rowboat. It wasn't very big, but could fit the four of them inside.

Silver and Gary jumped in with James, and Misty was almost there. She saw their urgent faces change to horror.

_What's wrong?_

Then she felt a hand grab her arm and pull her back.

_Team Rocket._

Then she realized that she was caught. The boat was pushed away by the ocean, with her friends in it.

* * *

Ash tried to lead everyone as far away from the volcano as possible, but it was nearly impossible because they were at the foot of the mountain. Not to mention the ash that was everywhere. He began to cough. Pikachu scurried over and jumped onto his shoulder to keep from getting lost in the havoc.

"Cover your mouths!" he managed to say, before he started to cough again. He pulled up the sleeve of the ratty black sweater (which he had gotten so used to that he didn't realize he was wearing) and used it to block some of the ash from getting into his lungs. The others had short sleeves, so they had to use their hands instead. Pikachu twisted his tail to block the cinders.

Ash looked at some of the rubble, his eyes wandering around the disaster scene.

What looked like a radio tower of sorts (probably the laboratory's) had fallen over in the quake, and combined with the debris from the mountain, blocked part of the rift in the ground and connected their side to the other side.

_It sorta looks like a bridge across the gap... bridge... BRIDGE!_

"This way!" he shouted out, and tried to find a way to the top of their new bridge. When the broken tower had crashed, it had ended up leaning precariously on the side of the volcano. It was also high up, and slanted downwards, so crossing it would be dangerous. One little slip and you'd be lost to the fissure.

He turned left, towards the volcano, and began to climb up the side of the rocky mountain. The others were watching with slight curiosity, until Pikachu called out to them and they began following Ash. Brock was pretty good, and didn't have any trouble, and Jessie seemed at ease as well, but May seemed to struggle as she carefully made he way up.

Some of the mountain's side seemed to crumble a little as Ash placed his weight on it, but he wasn't going to give up so easily. Their destination was almost in their reach, if only he could climb a little higher, he'd be there. He extended his arm a little and felt the cool metal bar in his grip. Ash tugged on it a little, satisfied of it's sturdiness, and pulled himself up a little using it. The bars crisscrossed along the side of the tower, giving him footholds and making it easy to climb up the side, almost like he was scrambling up the equipment on a jungle gym or crawling along a Ryhorn's back.

Brock followed him without any trouble, and Jessie and May didn't have any problems either. The four of them on top caused the tower's position to creak a bit, groaning with the extra weight.

"We'd better hurry." Brock said, and the group began to tiptoe across the makeshift bridge, trying their hardest not to step somewhere wrongly and cause it to all come crashing down. It was a risky game, but their best chance of survival.

Ash was in front again, and Pikachu was ahead of him, the small mouse being able to find weaker spots that shifted and warning the others so they'd avoid them. They slowly started to go at a decline, and the anxiety increased with every movement.

Jessie gave a sharp squeal as her foot slipped and urgently waved her arms to keep her balance. Brock, who was behind her and the last one in line, was ready to catch the former Rocket, but luckily, she stayed on the tower, and they all became more cautious. After all, this was probably one of the most dangerous things any of them had ever done. Ash suggested a pause to catch their breath.

If only they knew how worse it would all become.

* * *

She knew she wasn't stronger than her captor, but that didn't register in her mind. The only thing she could think about was that she was going to be lost to this island's dangers if she didn't break free from the Rocket quickly.

The Rocket that grabbed her struggled to keep the red haired girl from escaping his grasp, and tugged her roughly away from the waters, which her friends had managed to use to their advantage, quickly getting away in a small boat, most likely a fisherman's that was forgotten when he left the island after Team Rocket took it over.

Stranger still, the water was rushing at the island almost as viciously as the volcano was trying to cover it. White foam was in the air, and the waves crashed against each other like Pokèmon in battle, trying to get the advantage over each other. It was frightening to witness.

_These aren't natural waves..._

Almost like it was waiting for someone to think that, a massive figure emerged from the icy waters, and gave a roar that was louder than the volcano's initial eruption. The creature swung it's tail, and the sea came up to drown them all.

The Rocket let go of the girl and ran, and she quickly surpassed him with her agility as the ocean took out anything it could reach, catching the poor Rocket that had caught her a minute ago and just barely missing her by a hair. The screams as others were swallowed up were suddenly gone, lost in the tide.

"We're all trapped!" Misty shouted, trying to yell for some reason in her panicked state to the Rockets that continued to run to shore as they tried to escape. She pushed past them, trying to find a different escape, when she noticed four people_ climbing_ across the fallen radio tower.

_Is that... Ash, Brock, Jessie and May?_

* * *

Lugia gave a screech of anger as the Rockets were destroyed. They had upset the balance between humans and Pokèmon by taking Mew, and it was finally going to put things right.

Three birds emerged from behind it, each bringing their own plans of revenge with them. A blizzard was whipped up suddenly, and another two dozen people were frozen solid, never to wake up again. Flames were thrown at houses along the island, burning them to flames with anyone inside. The storm Lugia brought became much stronger, bringing crackling booms of thunder and lightning. Bolts struck down, and the carnage continued to grow.

But from the disaster, three more Legendary beings emerged. A torrent of water melted away to reveal a light blue dog on the sandy beaches, and from the flames emerged a large brown dog who leaped over in two bounds next to the blue Legendary. Another lightning bolt struck, bringing with it a yellow dog that seemed to radiate electrical energy, who joined the others, forming a trio.

The three stood their ground, glaring at the birds above them.

Articuno cried out at the sight of them, furious.

Moltres seemed to flare up as the flames on it's body grew bigger and stronger.

Zapdos gave a piercing cry and crackled with power.

Lugia gave another roar and swung it's wings, creating another wave that pummelled the people on the shore.

Time suddenly seemed to freeze; no one moved, no one said a word. It was like the world was on pause.

Then, like a ripple in the peace, a wail could be heard across the island, coming from the one and only Mew.

All seven legendary Pokèmon gave a shudder of pain as the Pokèrus transmitted from Mew so long ago began to fight much harder in their minds.

With an unearthly screech, the four bird's defences broke, and their eyes changed into a malicious ruby red, shining with their true unleashed power.

And the Legendary beasts realized that their simple mission was about to get a lot bigger.

* * *

**Arceus, what did I write?**

**This felt... _AMAZING!_**

**The whole thing just gave me a rush of excitement, and it was great! I feel awesome!**

**And Kit is going to be so mad about this cliffhanger again...**

**For those of you who didn't take the time to decipher my author note at the beginning of the chapter, I rewrote it properly for you lazy beings.**

_**Hello there random people! It's me, Typhlosion8!**_

_**Today I'm writing backwards! Why? Because I can! Have fun reading Chapter 36!**_

_***evilly grins***_

**Goodbye for now,**

**Ty8**


	37. One Problem Gone, At Least Two To Go!

**Hey there everyone! Happy Friday afternoon, or whatever time it is where you are!**

**In case you didn't know or thought I was a Death Eater in disguise, it's me, Ty8, here with another episode of the show you all either love or don't notice, "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!"**

**I'd like to say again to reassure you all that I'm feeling great about this and have little to no plan where the story is going, which makes it better! But rest assured, I will update next week and probably for a long time after that. I've struck creative gold, and I'm not slowing down until I'm either dry or finished! (hopefully the latter)**

**I'm actually hoping to finish this story off at 50 chapters, so if I'm counting right, (which I am because I used a calculator because I'm lazy) there's only 13 chapters of IMDH left not counting this one. So prepare for chapters that will be longer or one long epic finale chapter. (Actually, I've already posted a poll so vote on what you want!)**

**So, I think now is the perfect time to say:**

_**Time for Chapter 37!**_

* * *

A shriek from afar jolted all of them out of their pause as their bridge began to creak loudly. It was going to snap any minute now. Even now, it began to feel unstable as they picked up their pace in the hopes of crossing before they fell.

"Stay calm, and don't look down." Brock said, and May gave a shiver.

"How can we stay calm when we're all about to fall to our deaths?" she whimpered softly to herself.

With a sudden groan, the whole structure shifted downwards, and they all dived down and grabbed whatever they could as the tower moved deeper into the gap, becoming weaker every second.

"Hurry. We don't have any time to spare." Ash said, and the close call shook them all as they began to move even quicker.

Meanwhile, Pikachu, as he walked down in front of his friends to guide them, began having darker thoughts as he struggled to keep control over his mind again.

**_A quick Iron Tail to the bridge would take them all out, and I would be able to escape with Quick Attack. No one would know later because the tower was going to collapse anyway..._**

The yellow mouse shuddered as his tail started to shine silver, but the colour disappeared as soon as it had come as Pikachu pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He wasn't sure why he had such control over himself, but he was going to keep in control as long as he could, because Ash needed him to be by his side as his best friend and partner. They were always working together.

_I will not leave them to fall into this crevice of terror._

He looked up to see how close they were to the ground when he noticed a familiar head looking straight at them.

"PikachuPi!"

* * *

Brock heard Pikachu's call and was surprised.

_Misty's still here? I would have thought that the others would be gone by now, because they're on the other side._

He tried to see if he could spot the Misty and the others down there, but his head snapped upwards when a sharp noise caught his attention.

Flying out of the laboratory was a large dragon-like creature.

"Aerodactyl's free!" he whispered. The Rock/Flying type began flying towards the mountain, natural attracted to the noise still coming from the volcano.

_He's coming towards us!_

"Ash! Aerodactyl is flying this way!" he shouted, and the teen seemed to be in shock as the prehistoric Pokèmon flew in their direction.

Ash finally looked at Pikachu.

"Do you think you can fight it for a few minutes until we're all on safer ground?" he asked. Pikachu, still fighting his other side, seemed to become a little eager thinking of fighting.

"Pi Pikachu!" he said confidently, and jumped onto Ash's shoulder. From there he climbed onto his head, and carefully jumped onto May's, then Jessie's, and finally Brock's, before landing lightly on the tower and prepared to fight as the group continued to move downwards.

Ash, being only a few metres away from the bottom, quickly walked down the tower ahead of the others, and was confused to see only Misty at the bottom.

"Where's Gary, Silver and James?" he asked. She began telling him the story.

May was the next one to get to the bottom, grinning and doing some sort of victory cheer. Jessie came soon after, sinking to the ground and taking deep breaths. Finally, Brock got off, giving a small grin.

"Well, how many people can say that they nearly died climbing across a radio tower over a gap caused by an earthquake before the volcano on Cinnabar Island erupted?" he asked jokingly, and the others all managed to smile.

* * *

Aerodactyl saw a Pikachu in a haze of red, and shrieked at it menacingly. The Pikachu just grinned cheekily, making the former fossil even madder. Aerodactyl, still infuriated and infected with Pokèrus's power, dove at the tiny mouse, and the creature darted down the fallen tower like it was a bridge before stopping lower to the gap and sparking.

It suddenly shot bolts of lightning at Aerodactyl, and the Flying/Rock type screeched in slight pain, but it was overpowered by it's anger, and lunged, it's sharp claws missing the Pikachu by a millimetre. The close range just encouraged Pikachu, who released more power and enveloped Aerodactyl in more lightning, slowly wearing it down.

With a final burst, the Pikachu stopped, and changed attacks into an Iron Tail, swinging it straight into Aerodactyl's jaw. But Aerodactyl was prepared for the attack to it's face, and a Fire Fang bit deeply into Pikachu's tail, which wasn't really meant to be attacked so viciously.

Pikachu tails are mostly muscle, and there are only a few bones in the base of the tail to allow flexible movement. But the muscles are delicate and easy to tear if enough pressure is put on it, it will do painful damage. As soon as the after the metallic sheen went away, the pain became much more intense as the flames burned the layer of fur black and the sharp teeth of the obvious carnivore began to bite through the Pikachu's tail.

"Chuuuuu!" the mouse cried out in pain as it wiggled to get free. A weak Thunderbolt zapped Aerodactyl, but wasn't anywhere near as strong as before.

Then, like a switch had been flipped, Pikachu stiffened, and then growled out a snarky taunt.

"_Kachu Pi_."

With new energy, thousands of volts of raw power was released, and Aerodactyl let go instantly as it collapsed onto the bridge as more energy poured into it. It whimpered in pain, calling out it's surrender to the tiny electric mouse, who finally stopped.

The Pikachu's tail, which was burnt black and had crimson blood stained into it's fur where the teeth had sunk through, changed into what looked like a solid metallic blade that swung too fast to see anything more than a silver streak in the air as the mouse sliced cleanly through the carnage of metal, rock and debris, slicing the bridge into two halves, Pikachu's and Aerodactyl's.

And the bridge broke at last, the weak metal destroyed and began to fall inward into the crevice below and Aerodactyl didn't move, too exhausted. But Pikachu did, becoming a white glow as he bolted for the other side. As his feet touched the solid ground, he relaxed a bit, before shuddering to control himself again.

The adrenaline was wearing off, and as Pikachu's eyes turned back to their charcoal black, he mewled in pure pain and whited out.

* * *

Ash gingerly scooped Pikachu up into his arms and pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around the mouse and tightly around his butchered tail. He was now in only his faded old Rocket shirt, the one he walked into Indigo Plateau in, hidden under his hoodie.

Pushing away the memory, he looked at his friends, trying to think of a way to get them all off the island.

There were five of them now since Misty showed up. There would be no way to get away unless they got on one of those huge Team Rocket cargo boats, and that would be hard. He still had his last plan for getting into one of them, but it wouldn't be easy.

"Look out!" May shouted, and everyone went down except Ash, too deep in his thoughts.

"Ash! Move!" Misty yelled at him, and he blinked before looking up and seeing a huge flaming bird high in the sky glaring straight at their group.

"That's Moltres!" Brock said in awe.

Ash looked closer, seeing a strange colour in it's eyes. The bright red colour registered in his mind.

"That's Pokèrus Moltres!" he said, and the group tried to find some sort of cover from the Legendary as it powered up and attacked them with a Fire Blast. The flames were coming too fast, preventing escape.

Ash was in the middle and most likely to be hit, and tried to cover his head with his arms like a shield, but didn't have to, because a blue creature leaped in front of the all and hit the Fire Blast with a Hydro Pump, destroying it and hitting Moltres too. The bird screeched in annoyance and flew away.

The others, who were in a slight shock, walked closer to the blue dog.

"Is that... Suicune?" Jessie asked. Misty, the Water type expert, nodded jerkily.

Suicune seemed to cool the surrounding area, and the air became fresher and had a faint sea water smell. The dog seemed much larger than legends depicted.

It looked straight at Ash and met his eyes.

_"Do you and your friends need help getting off this island?"_

* * *

**And there you have it. Cinnabar is a disaster zone still and everyone is struggling to get off tis island of terror.**

**Have a nice day!**

**Ty8**


	38. Saving Mew

**Hey guys! Happy Monday!**

**This is Ty8 here, welcoming you to your weekly episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!"**

**First off, yes, I did update on last Friday. Do you really mind that I went off-schedule?**

**I assumed you guys could count a week from now, but if you can't, the next IMDH update is ****6/8/15****!**

**Anyway, I'll see you later. I've got a story to tell here.**

**Chapter 38 is here!**

* * *

"Giovanni, sir, Cinnabar Island is under attack from Legendary Pokèmon and the mountain seems to be a volcano. Many Rockets there need help. What do you want to do?"

"Do nothing until later. We'll salvage after the initial destruction is over." the Rocket Boss said, uncaring.

"Understood, sir."

And the Grunt walked away, still thinking about the agents on Cinnabar Island who were probably never going to see their Boss again.

* * *

_"Do you and your friends need help getting off this island?"_

"Uh..."

How was he suppose to respond to a Legendary Pokèmon?

"Yes, we do. Can you help?" Ash asked Suicune. The dog nodded.

_"I will, and my friends will as well, if you do something for us. Your group looks like the hero type, so I'm asking you. I need you to release Mew."_

"Mew?" Ash said, astonished. The group, who only heard Ash's side, were completely confused.

_"Yes. Releasing Mew was the reason Lugia began searching Kanto. It has succumbed to the Pokèrus Mew is radiating, along with the Legendary Bird trio. If you can release it and find a way to cure it, the Legendary Pokèmon will be okay, and so will every other Pokèmon out there."_

"I'm not sure how to cure it, but we can release it from Team Rocket's control. Then you'll help us off the island?"

_"Yes. Good luck."_

Suicune looked up and snarled at Moltres, who was flying back over to Suicune with a vengeance and looked angry.

_"Go! Now!"_

Ash grabbed the closest person to him and yelled out to the rest.

"Get to the laboratory!"

* * *

The once shiny laboratory, filed with brand-new equipment and stainless steel materials, was in shambles. Glass test tubes and vials were shattered across the floor, leaving shards of glass everywhere like a coating along the ceramic floor, which had various unknown liquids seeping across the room and dark red stains smeared on it, the walls, and other things.

Pools of blood collected near the bodies of Grunts, most of them literally ripped apart by Aerodactyl's teeth and claws when it was let loose, and the remaining ones killed by fatal wounds to the neck, chest and legs and, in one case, a table had been thrown on the poor guy.

There were a few cages hanging from the light fixtures and a lab coat almost in shreds with spots of red on it. A hole had been torn in the ceiling where Aerodactyl had escaped. The whole room had a combination of two smells that didn't mix well. There was a clean, sterilized smell you would usually smell in a laboratory or hospital that intoxicated your senses and a metallic one that made your nose automatically wrinkle, your mind think of terrible things, and your stomach reflexively try to throw up.

Everyone had stepped into the lab, but they all left the carnage in record-breaking time. Ash, unfortunately, had agreed to release Mew, so he was forced to stay. He'd passed Pikachu to Brock before going back in, and his older friend pulled out his first aid kit from his backpack and began trying to wrap his tail to stop the blood loss and keep the mouse alive.

Glass crunched under his sneakers as he walked slowly through the ruins and tried not to breathe through his nose.

"Hello? Anyone?" he called out, hoping for at least one survivor. But no one answered his call, and he shuddered at the thought of how powerful both Aerodactyl and Pokèrus had to have been for this much destruction.

His eyes scanned the room, trying to see the containment box Team Rocket had stored Mew inside. Relief struck when he found it lying on the ground.

The stronger-than-steel cage was to the left of the room, resting on the glass shards and debris. It was completely still, just sitting there.

Ash walked slowly over towards the cage. There was a dent in it that was probably caused by Aerodactyl when it might have tried to open the cage, but other than that, it was spotless and shiny. There was nowhere to open it, either.

_How do I open it?_

He poked around, feeling the sides. There was no latch, no keyhole, no secret code needed, nothing! He grabbed a nearby chair that had been overturned and tried hitting the box a bit, but it couldn't even scratch the material.

Finally, he got a little desperate.

"Uh, Mew? Can you hear me?"

Silence.

"Well, uh, could you possibly help me out in some way or form? Maybe use Psychic to weaken the metal or maybe a Fire type move if you've got one?"

No answer.

Ash sighed. He didn't actually expect Mew to answer, but he thought the pink creature would at least attack at him in anger. After all, it was injected directly with the Pokèrus virus, and should have been the strongest and most vicious Pokèmon there was.

"Okay. Never mind. I'll find a way to get you out."

Looking back down at the cage, he noticed something so small, he would never have noticed it if he was looking. It was a very slight indent in the shape of a paw. There were small claw markings too, so the Pokèmon probably knew a move like Scratch or Fury Swipes.

_It looked like a place to put a key of some sort._

Ash pulled out his PokèDex, and scrolled through a list of Kanto Pokèmon that had some form of sharp claws. His breath stopped when it hit him.

_Persian._

* * *

**_Attack the human, fool. Fight! The Rocket people are gone. Attack him. Rip him to shreds! Prove that you're a Legendary Pokèmon!_**

The dark, brooding voice flickered, and a small, weaker voice spoke in it's head.

_Yes. Show that you're a strong Legendary Pokèmon that can stay in control. Don't give-_

**_Kill the boy and wreak havoc on the region of Kanto and then go to Johto! Nothing's stopping you! You're Mew, one of the strongest Pokèmon after Arceus. Kill anyone that gets in your way and leave no survivors!_**

But Mew used it's only control left in it's body and kept silent, praying that the boy would give up and leave.

_**You know you could smash this cage open in seconds if you let it take over your powers. Give in and destroy them all with the flick of a finger! Be a real Pokèmon.**_

_**Why do you fight the power? Especially when you've been captured by an evil orginization and held against you will? Why don't you take revenge?**_

Mew struggled to ignore the words whispering in it's head.

It was a slowly becoming a losing battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, a small boat had been floating slowly on the overlapping waves as three people inside stared in the direction of Cinnabar Island, where most of their friends, or at least acquaintances, were. They had no idea what happened to Ash's group and Misty could be in a prisoner cell in Team Rocket's HQ right now.

But there was some hope that everyone was okay, and that they had escaped and were following them to safety. It was very small.

Silver looked around, and a flicker of a small smile appeared quickly.

"Land." he said, nudging Gary and James. Both nodded, looking in Silver's direction and spotting the orange glow. A Pokèmon Centre!

When the boat finally reached land, Gary pulled out his Town Map that he'd gotten so long ago when he started his journey and never thought he'd need because he'd read enough books and maps to know everything about Kanto.

_From Cinnabar, the only two places we'd end up are Fuchsia City and... Pallet Town._

"I'm home." he said softly.

* * *

Giovanni smiled; his victory was secured now. He looked at the Master Ball that held the Legendary Pokèmon within before tucking it into his pocket. With a creature this powerful, he- no, Team Rocket was unstoppable!

He walked into his office at sat in his swivel chair (because you're not a villain without a chair that turns around and hides you until you finally turn around and reveal yourself to the reader/viewers and the hero. But of course there were none of these watching him now, but that didn't bother him.)

As he sat down, he spun the chair so that it faced his large window and not the doorway. Once again, because he loved the feeling of complete control, Giovanni pulled the Master Ball out of his pocket and looked at it once more.

Let the heroes come for him and try and stop him. He'd be ready.


	39. Reuniting

**Hello readers, and welcome to another episode of "Typhlosion8's Weird Author Notes!"**

**Next update's ****6/15/15****, more stuff, more stuff, emergency situation, blah, blah, blah.**

**Chapter 39!**

* * *

"Ash, is that holding... Mew?" Brock asked slowly. Ash had come out of the laboratory looking slightly pale and holding a large steel cage (if you could call it that. the thing didn't have any sort of place to look inside.)

"Yes. Since I can't open it, I'm taking it with me and not going to give up until Mew's free." the raven haired teen stubbornly replied. Suddenly, a loud _thump_ was heard.

Something was on the laboratory roof.

* * *

The trio stood along the outskirts of Pallet Town, or where Pallet Town was before, as the sun set on the horizon, bathing the group in a yellow-orange glow. The Pokèmon Centre was about a kilometre away from them, and there was one thing that clearly stood out about the seemingly normal centre.

"Don't Pokèmon Centres have the letter _**P**_ on them, not the letter _**R**_?" Silver asked.

"Yes, and there also wasn't a Pokèmon Centre here before either." Gary added.

"Does it matter what letter is there as long as they have space for us to rest?" James asked, and Silver nodded his head very quickly.

"Yes, it does! We could walk in and they could trap us in there! We have to think this through!" the red haired teen replied, a little _too_ loud.

"_Snooooorlax._"

Eyes wide, the three of them turned around and watched, shocked, as the Snorlax stomped over to them, looking very, very, angry. It's eyes glowed with an evil red.

"Isn't that Ash's Snorlax?" Gary asked slowly, and James nodded. Silver, of course, didn't remember Ash having a Snorlax, but then again, he didn't remember Ash mentioning any of the things he knew about him now.

"_LLAAAXX!_" the Pokèmon yawned, and began to run towards the group. No words were needed, because they didn't ned to communicate the no brainer right now: run!

But that was when an also evil looking Donphan rolled around them and growled, an orange sphere growing in it's mouth.

"Hyper Beam!" Silver yelled out, and they all dropped to the ground as it fired, hitting Snorlax right in the middle of it's belly. The monstrous Pokèmon fainted, and the trio jumped back up and ran towards the Rocket Centre, forgetting all about their initial worries about it.

A Swellow came out of nowhere and aimed Aerial Ace after Aerial Ace at them, and a few of them nearly hit. A Torterra appeared and attacked in their direction with Leaf Storms, spewing small, razor-sharp leaves. A Quilava chased after them using Flame Wheel, and a Buizel shot at them with Aqua Jets aided by a Glalie's Ice Beam, freezing the water into ice that smashed into the ground and left the air chilly.

"Why does Ash have to have so many Pokèmon!" Gary yelled out angrily as an Energy Ball nearly hit his head. The Centre doors opened automatically, and the three of them slid into the small place, pressing the emergency close button and forcing the doors to shut behind them.

"Who is it now? Don't you people know that there's a Pokèrus outbreak around here?" said a familiar voice.

James scowled.

"Biff. Imagine seeing you working a Pokèmon Centre. Got demoted to nurse?"

The teal haired man sneered.

"If it isn't James. Still having fun being a rebel while Team Rocket wins?"

"At least people say my name right, _Botch_."

Botch- no, Butch snapped, running at James in anger.

"IT'S BUTCH! GET IT RIGHT! B-U-T-C-H!"

"At this rate, I'm going to call you Bossy if you don't shut up about the name." Cassidy said, walking into the room, not even noticing the rebels.

Gary snickered at the comment, which seemed to make Bossy- sorry, Butch more upset.

"Cassidy! There are rebels here! And James!"

His partner halted at the name.

"You mean James as in _Jessie _and James?" she asked coldly.

"I don't see Jessie anywhere. She probably got eaten by one of those Pokèmon outside." Butch replied, slightly hopeful.

Cassidy shrugged. "In that case, I don't care." And with that, she continued to walk through the Rocket Centre.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Listen Botch, since you and your partner are outnumbered, we'll be taking over this Centre. How many other people are here?"

"You're not taking over the Rocket Centre! Petrel will demote us to garbage men if we relinquish this base! Do you know how embarrassing it is to say you're with the all-powerful Team Rocket, and then say you take out the trash?"

Gary scoffed rudely. "Do we look like we care?"

Butch sighed. "It's just me and Cassidy. No one comes here because there's too many Pokèmon nearby attacking. The last guy who was here got disintegrated by an Overheat attack. So they sent us because we're not very useful to Team Rocket as henchmen."

"You could join the Alliance." James offered, but Butch laughed.

"Yeah, sure. If I join the Alliance, I'm automatically declared a traitor like you. You know what Giovanni does with traitors? 'Cause I don't but I'm certain that I don't want to find out!" he said, and his voice rose in anger.

"Then be a coward and let us take over the Rocket Centre!" James shouted, and then there was silence as both men glared at each other with sure ferocity that you could feel the tension in the room.

Finally, James shook his head.

"Fine, go ahead and wait out the end of the rebellion here with Cassidy. But remember that you had the chance to do something worthwhile and maybe be someone in the world and history as Butch, an important part of the Alliance in the final battle, or Botch, the nobody Grunt from Team Rocket, a once-powerful orginization that fell in the end."

He turned around to look at Gary and silver, who were speechless at his deep words.

"Come on, let's go find some rooms to stay in."

And then there was only Butch left in the room, with only his own conflicting thoughts as he decided his future and Cassidy hiding around the other corner, also thinking about what James said.

* * *

Ash and the other quickly looked up, shocked to see a large brown dog creature.

"Entei?" Ash said slowly. The Legendary nodded.

_"Suicune said you and your friends were essential to stopping this. I'm not sure how truthful that is, but you don't look like Rockets, so it's our duty to help you get to safety."_

Another Pokèmon landed next to Entei, and looked a lot like thunderclouds if they had a Pokèmon form.

"Hey! You're Raikou!" May said in excitement. The yellow dog bowed it's head.

_We are here to get you to the shore safely, and then Suicune will help out as well. You may climb aboard us. Lugia, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno are still roaming, and the Pokèrus virus has made them hostile and easy to provoke. If you see them, do not make eyes contact and leave the fighting to us."_

The two Pokèmon jumped off the roof and lowered themselves slightly.

"Uh, May, you, Jessie and Brock climb onto Raikou. Misty, you stay with me on Entei."

They climbed onto the Legendary beasts without much difficulty (Mew's cage was another story), and as soon as the last person's feet left the ground, they were off. The ground sped by, and most of them covered their faces because ashes were blowing into them.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, Misty saw a flash of blue feathers. Articuno.

_We're not going to make it!_

And as the Legendary bird came closer, Entei spun around mid-run and blew a burst of flames at the Freeze Pokèmon that knocked it over into the ground. By the time it had gotten back up, the people and Pokèmon were gone.

* * *

Suicune crouched on the water, waiting. They had only a few precious seconds before Lugia sensed them and would chase.

And then Raikou appeared, sand flying up into the air with every step as the Legendary dashed towards the sea. Entei followed, it's passenger's holding on for dear life at their speed. The two dogs halted at the water's edge. Suicune let out a small breath.

_"Quickly. Entei, please stay here and cover us. Raikou, pray to Arceus that we're fast enough to escape Lugia."_

Ash and Misty dismounted the Legendary dog, and Entei raced off back towards the mainland with more speed than before.

_"We must be quick. You two climb onto me, and I'll lead us across the water. As long as we're quick, I can freeze it lightly so that we can cross it easily."_

Ash and Misty climbed onto Suicune, and the redhead was touching it's fur carefully after they were both on, amazed at the Water type.

"Your fur is like velvet." she said quietly, and Suicune let out a soft laugh.

_"Thank you."_

A quick Aurora Beam later, and the two Legendary Pokèmon were running across the sea in the direction of Pallet Town, their feet merely brushing the cool ice.

* * *

The Rocket Centre was lavish, but the design was simple. The trio found a room with two bunk beds, and quickly picked a spot to sleep. Time must have passed by without them noticing, because the sky was dark. Gary and James had fallen asleep soon after picking a bed, but Silver decided to check on the other guests in the Centre.

He didn't even have to try anymore, easily tiptoeing through the hallway and found the two Rockets in the lobby, sitting on one of the couches.

Closing his eyes to block out distractions, Silver focused on the voices. Butch was speaking to Cassidy.

"-if we do join them, we'll still be useless! At least with Team Rocket, we feel important. With the rebels and all their strong trainers, we'll be background people again."

Cassidy paused.

"Well, I still think James was right. Team Rocket isn't going to win this. The Alliance is never going to give up, no matter how hard Giovanni pushes. It may take a long time, it may happen tomorrow, but it's going to happen. We're at risk of death every day we stay here, and don't deny it. This building isn't meant to withstand Pokèmon attacks like these." she said quietly, almost like she didn't believe the words herself. Her last words were hard for even Butch to hear.

"What other choice do we have?"

* * *

Ash slid off Suicune's back, carefully holding onto Mew's cage, and his feet met long grasses that hadn't been cut in years. There was a dirt path that had long been neglected which led farther into the field. The only way you'd recognize it was if you'd seen the large laboratory in the distance before and if you remembered the smell and feel of it. Pallet Town had been known for being one of Kanto's most wild and free place for Pokèmon to live with it's fresh air and wide open spaces.

But Ash knew it was home because his gut clenched and he felt happy and sad at the same time. His home was so different than it was before. The homes had been abandoned years ago when Team Rocket had struck, but nature had worn them down and many were broken and falling apart. The field where Pokèmon liked to play was overgrowing with weeds and (thankfully) no Pokèmon were in sight. But the feeling of home was comforting like no other feeling.

"Pallet Town." he said quietly.

Everyone else was looking at the ruins of Pallet with curiosity. It was an odd sight.

"Hey, isn't that a Pokèmon Centre?" May asked.

"I hope it is. Pikachu isn't getting any better and some medical attention would be a blessing right now." Brock said.

"And Nurse Joy has nothing to do with it?" Misty questioned teasingly, and Brock looked away without replying.

"Well, I'm not waiting around here forever." Jessie said, and had only taken one step when Raikou leaped over her and stood tensely.

_"There are Pokèmon out there. Many of them of different types, and each one eager to attack. Stay back."_

Ash looked at Raikou with wide eyes.

"Pokèmon? You don't think those are mine, do you?"

His question was answered with a roar as a herd of Tauros came out of nowhere and began running at the group full speed.

"Move!" Misty shouted, but her voice couldn't be heard over the stomping of feet. Her message was clear though, and everyone began a mad dash towards the Pokèmon Centre as Suicune and Raikou tried to stop the stampede.

As they got closer, Brock pointed out a strange thing about the Centre.

"Isn't that the letter _**R**_, not a _**P**_?"

By the time anyone registered that fact into their heads, they had crashed into the locked doors of the Pokèmon Centre.

"LET US IN!" May yelled, and everyone banged on the doors with fear as the herd of Tauros slowly pushed their way forward past the Legendary Pokèmon even as many of them were knocked out.

* * *

Gary awoke to a lot of mooing.

"Do you hear that?" he asked James, who was also awoken by the noise.

"Yes. It's probably more Pokèmon." the lavender haired man said, and covered his ears as he attempted to get back to sleep.

Gary was about to dismiss it too - when he heard a human voice.

* * *

All of a sudden, Ash pushed on the door to find it opening as he toppled over into the light of the Centre. Mew's container clattered to the ground nosily, but Mew didn't react. The others hastily made their way inside and closed the door again, relieved to be safe.

"Ash! Misty! Brock! May! We were worried you didn't make it!" Gary shouted, and the friends happily rejoiced.

"Jessie!" James said, glad that Gary had waken him up again. His partner looked just as happy to see him, and they grinned.

"Motto?"

"Of course!"

"Please, you idiots don't know the meaning of the word."

Cassidy's harsh voice brought surprise, shock, anger, and disbelief.

_"You!"_ Jessie said, giving the Rocket a nasty look. It was returned with more venom if that was possible.

"Rockets!" Ash shouted, and Misty's hand curled into fists.

"Why are you people here?" she scowled angrily. Butch stepped up and rolled his eyes.

"Hello? Did you not see the **_R _**on the front of the building? This place is for Team Rocket's uses, not yours. The Rocket Centre is not going to host Alliance rebels!"

May gave a victorious grin.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we outnumber you guys by six people."

"But we can easily contact Giovanni at the press of a button. Then we'll see how well you rebels do outnumbered by a hundred." Cassidy replied coldly.

"Go ahead." Silver said calmly. And like a switch had been flipped, the two groups were glaring daggers at each other.

An unexpected _crash _snapped everyone out of their silence, and heads were searching the room urgently, trying to find the source of the noise.

The lights above them flickered weakly before going out, and they were in darkness.

"What's going on?"

"The light's went out, idiot."

"Stay calm, we're okay."

"Did anyone feel a breeze just now?"

"We have to get out of here!"

"I swear I felt something move near me..."

"Does anyone have a flashlight?"

"Is it just me, or did the temperature rise?"

And then there were two eyes staring at them with a faintly glowing pink light.


	40. Pokèrus Takes Flight

**Hey there folks! Guess what? There's only going to be approximately 10 more chapters of IMDH! Can you believe it? 10!**

**Let's not waste time! Chapter 40!**

* * *

May opened her mouth to say something, anything, about the glowing eyes. It had to be a Pokèmon staring at them with such eerie concentration, but no one had spoken any sort of warning words are commands to run.

The Pokèmon didn't move either, just looking at them with the eyes that glowed pink. _A Psychic type attack?_

"No sudden movements," Ash's whisper was nearly impossible to hear, but the others didn't question his words. After all, it was probably his own Pokèmon, and he'd know how his Pokèmon thought better than anyone.

Ash looked right into the Pokèmon's eyes boldly, and he seemed to recognize it by the Pokèmon's eyes alone.

"_Noctowl._" he said quietly.

* * *

The Gym was a mess of charred remains and precariously balanced pieces of ceiling and rubble were everywhere. The base had been burned as well, damaged by the heat of the fire. Lance had decided to find a spot where the remaining Alliance rebels of Cerulean could get back to working on the fight against Giovanni. So Lorelei, Delia, Will, Bruno and Professor Oak followed him towards Mt. Moon, unknowing that the mountain wasn't there anymore.

Sabrina had stayed behind, claiming that she would see if anything in the base was salvageable. Lance was reluctant to let her stay, but she promised to catch up, so he finally agreed. And now she was looking through the remains of the main room, hoping that what she sensed earlier wasn't destroyed in the flames.

She was rewarded with three dirty red and white spheres resting on the floor, blackened but intact.

_It's time you were returned to your rightful trainer. I have a feeling you'll be of use pretty soon._

* * *

The bird wasn't very large, actually being smaller than others of it's species, but because of Ash's training, it was just as deadly with sharp claws and amazing accuracy. Not to mention how smart it was. It makes sense that the Pokèmon had figured out how to get into the Pokèmon Centre.

Slowly, Ash took a step forward, bracing himself for an attack. But Noctowl was still, and didn't fly towards them. It's eyes returned to their red colour, and the glow was weaker than before.

_Did it gain some control like Pikachu?_

"We should go now." Ash whispered, and the now large group of people walked towards the locked automatic doors steadily, trying not to provoke Noctowl. Ash grabbed Mew's cage and Silver and James easily opened the frozen doors and were surprised to see no Pokèmon in sight.

"Don't question it, just keep moving. It's a blessing." Gary mumbled under his breath, and there was a silent agreement as they tiptoed through the tall grasses that grew in the Pallet Town field.

Butch and Cassidy had invited themselves into their group, and there might have been a deeper meaning to it, something sentimental about how James's words touched them and they were going to fight against Team Rocket, and they might even believe it later that their subconscious was telling them to work with the Alliance.

But in actuality, the original reason they left was because Noctowl's glowing eyes had scared them almost as badly as Giovanni ever would.

And now there was ten of them, all varying in age and experience and secrets, coming together to fight.

* * *

"Careful. Route 1 has a lot of wild Pokèmon." Brock said warningly, and their steps became more cautious, and they looked around every few steps for wild infected Pokèmon.

But, because I'm the author, I'll explain something that the group didn't know, or possibly forgot about.

Over 5 years ago, a group of Spearow led by a frightening Fearow had terrorized wild Pidgey and Pidgeotto in the area. Ash and his Pidgeotto had fought the Fearow and Spearow, and Pidgeotto evolved in the process. Pidgeot was left on Route 1 with the other Pidgey and Pidgeotto to protect them, and Ash promised to come back for it.

Pidgeot had stayed there for over 5 years, protecting the other Pokèmon from the Fearow and Spearow while also waiting patiently for Ash. But, whether he was going to pick Pidgeot up after returning to Kanto after the Lily of the Valley Conference is unknown, because he ended up attempting to rescue Pikachu, and the rest of the story is well known from there.

When Pokèrus hit, every bird there had two things that stayed clear in their head: Protect their flock and territory, and destroy any others in their territory. It was odd for the Pokèrus to still specify which Pokèmon were enemies, but there were obviously no humans with enough time or bravery (or stupidity) to find out why.

Over time, the rival flocks had eaten all the Berries and other wild Pokèmon in the area, except for a few loners who stayed hidden well. There were really only two defined Pokèmon groups: Pidgey evolution line, and Spearow evolution line. No Rattatas or Caterpies in sight.

Our heroes didn't know about this until a Spearow swooped down and it's claws brushed May's head as it snatched her bandana, missing it's target and landing in a nearby tree.

A Pidgeotto suddenly pounced on the Flying type and it's claws easily sliced into the Spearow, killing it.

May's bandana fluttered to the ground, but she didn't touch it. She, like everyone else, was staring at the predator as it tore at it's meal.

"T-That's a P-Pidgeotto," she said, shocked.

Misty's eyes went wide.

"Ash, Brock, you don't think that flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto and that flock of Spearow are still here, do you?" she asked nervously. Neither responded, too busy putting together the puzzle pieces.

"I think we have bigger problems..." Butch said, pointing upwards. A large brown bird was soaring through the air, and it's beak was sharp and long enough to skewer your throat. To make things worse, it had it's bright red eyes glaring at them with a hatred too powerful to describe exactly.

"_FEAROW!_" It screeched, and dove at them, scattering the friends and acquaintances like tiny bugs fleeing from the ultimate shoe.

But Fearow quickly manoeuvred itself, picking a target and chasing. The first target was Jessie, but changed to Misty when she shouted at it. This became a short game of sorts as they all yelled at the bird, causing it to change prey and become slightly confused.

But then the other one came. The bird was the perfect foe, a powerful predator and Pokèmon. It's talons were razor-sharp and it's beak looked strong enough to snap branches into splinters. It's wings were immense and a beautiful plumage of colour. Multiple shades of brown covered it's wings and body, a stunning crest of yellow and red nearly as long as it's body, and bright red feathers fanned out from it's tail, matching the shade of red in it's eyes.

"_PIDGEOT!_"

* * *

The birds flew at each other, talons ready, but both attacks missed. They cried out in anger and continued to plunge at each other with fury, using their wings and beaks too.

"It looks like they're fighting each other, but why? Why only fight against a rival flock? I didn't think the Pokèrus left them enough control to choose who to attack." Gary said curiously, his researcher side coming back to him.

"Not now, Gary! Let's get out of here!" Misty shouted at him, and he nodded.

"Right. This way!"

A sudden wind hit, scattering leaves and dust into a small twister and causing problems for the group.

"That's Pidgeot's Twister!" Silver called out. "It's really powerful! We've got to hurry!"

"Head for the trees!" Ash said, and pushed against the wind, finally landing in the small woods. The others followed, and the group watched the fight from afar.

"This looks like a fight to the death." May said sadly. Brock shook his head.

"No one will win that. Too many Pokèmon have already been lost to the Pokèrus. at this rate, there won't be any left in the world."

"I don't know about you people, but I don't want to be killed by a Fearow _or_ a Pidgeot, so let's keep moving!" Cassidy said angrily, and the rebels nodded as they quietly snuck away, towards Viridian City.

* * *

Misty became their leader of sorts as they walked along Route 1, reminding them that she did not want to be attacked by wild Pokèmon, especially since they got this far, so if they wanted to not have a concussion, they would be fast and quiet. And it worked very well.

Meanwhile, snarling noises were coming from inside the container Mew was in, and although they started out sounding like Mew was simply angry at being caged, it quickly escalated to loud, vicious, growls that were painful to hear and sounding less normal and more deadly every time.

But the real problem didn't arise until they reached the wall.

"When in _Arceus's _name did Team Rocket build a wall around the city?" Silver gasped, wide-eyed. The last time he was here, there was only guards at the city gates, not a wall!

The wall towered over them, being at least 10 feet high. It wasn't super high, but without a Pokèmon, it was near impossible, and you'd be spotted even if you did manage to climb up a bit.

"Obviously some time while we were gone," Jessie mumbled, arms crossed. James nodded.

"The question is, how do we get in?" the lavender man asked her. Butch and Cassidy came closer, and the four of them seemed to only hear each other.

"We could say the Rocket Centre was attacked." Cassidy suggested. Butch shook his head.

"No, because leaving the Rocket Centre would mean we were cowards, and Giovanni doesn't approve of cowardice. We have to say it was destroyed by wild Pokèmon. He'll send people to check, but by then, we'll all be inside the city gates." the Rocket said. Jessie nodded.

"Butch is right. It will also distract them because it means that the Pokèmon are getting too strong and he'll have to get rid of them. That'll take resources."

"Okay, then Butch and I will go and tell the guards at the gate. We'll convince them to escort us to Giovanni, and then the others will hurry through while their gone. It will be a small window of opportunity, so you'll have to hurry. From there we'll knock out the Grunts and meet you guys and the rest of the group at the Viridian Pokèmon Centre." Cassidy told the duo, and they nodded.

While Jessie and James explained the plan to the rest of the rebels, Cassidy and Butch slowly walked towards the Viridian gate.


	41. The Alliance Rises Again

**Hello and welcome to the 41st chapter of IMDH! Prepare for the next 10 most exciting chapters in at least this story because the finale is just around the corner! I'm your author, Ty8, here with a disclaimer and some more boring stuff to say before the good part.**

**First off, I do not own Pokèmon. There, done, said it. Secondly, _ I'm so excited for the finale!_**

**Thirdly, I'm updating early once again because ChocoChip has been bribing me. There, I've said it. Celebrate the early update.**

**Finally, the next update will be Monday, June 29th, so be ready!**

* * *

Because this was their first time lying to Team Rocket like this, both of the Rockets (or would they be Ex-Rockets now?) were shaking. Butch was worse, looking around non-stop.

"Cut it out, Biff! You'll ruin our cover!" Cassidy hissed, purposely saying his name wrong. It did the trick, because he was glaring at her and had stopped trembling. But then he blinked, then nodded at her and whispered "Thanks."

The two guards at Viridian gate were polar opposites. One was large and seemed like all muscle, and the other one was thin and wiry.

"Hey! What are you two Grunts doing here?" the smaller one said, and bounced almost comically as he tried to look tougher and seem taller. The other one just cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"You two look like cliché henchmen in a crappy movie." Cassidy said in her snarky way that made both men stop moving and curiously consider her words.

"Now, can you please escort us to Giovanni? We have vital information about the Rocket Base in the Pallet Town area, and if he knew that you miserable Grunts were the ones who stopped our report from getting through, you'd be taking out trash before you could say 'Boss'." the golden haired woman said.

If there was one trick every Rocket knew, it was how to scare other Rockets with Team Rocket-related threats. Any nobody Grunt wanted to push and pull their way to the top, and if you appeared higher on the corporate ladder, they'd do anything to please you so that you'd boost their status and not lower it.

Surprisingly, it was the bigger Grunt that looked terrified.

"O-Of c-course, m-ma'm. We'll take you through. But w-who will watch our station?"

An idea popped into Cassidy's head, and if Jessie and James were here, she'd be bragging for the rest of their lives.

"My partner, Butch, can keep watch on the gate. I assure you he's well-trained and prepared for anything a rebel might do." she said casually, and Butch nodded.

"I'm actually being considered for out-of-region training." he said, and both guards looked amazed.

"Wow! Can you tell us about your skills later, sir?" the scrawny one said, and Butch nodded quietly.

"Then w-we'll take you to the Boss and your partner will keep the gate closed. Let's go!" the other Grunt urged, and Cassidy followed them into the city, while Butch waited behind for the rebels.

* * *

"Butch?" James asked, looking at the teal haired man. He nodded.

"I got promoted to gate guard. Now come on! Let's get going!" he said, and the group walked through the gate into the heart of Team Rocket.

"Hey, Butch, can you do us a favour?" Silver asked. The Rocket nodded, confused.

"What?" he questioned.

"Can you stay at the gate and open it when the rest get here?"

* * *

Cassidy walked behind the two idiots, fumbling in her pockets for something. There wasn't much light, so it was easy to hide her movements.

Finally finding the tiny vial, she glanced at the dust as a streetlight illuminated the light green powder. It was enough for the two Grunts to be out for days.

The Sleep Powder she held was normal. In fact, it had been collected from a Butterfree in the Viridian Forest a long time ago for emergency uses, before all the Pokèmon changed. But Sleep Powder, like Poison Powder and Spore, is potent. Pokèmon have high immune systems because of the attacks they're built to withstand, so when another Pokèmon used a move like Sleep Powder, they dumped a lot of it onto their opponent.

But human beings are not built to withstand Pokèmon attacks, so their bodies don't work the same way. A regular dose of Sleep Powder from a Butterfree would be enough to put a Pokèmon to sleep for usually 10 minutes at the most, with the odd record of 13 minutes being held by a Vileplume in Johto.

But a human being dosed with just a pinch of Sleep Powder would be out for an hour and a half. A young child dosed with the normal amount would be put into a comatose-like state that could last for years. And two young adult members of Team Rocket being given a dose of Sleep Powder would be out for over a week.

Cassidy sped up her pace, and was almost next to the Grunts when she secretly uncorked the vial and covered her mouth as she threw it in front of them and it smashed on the ground, releasing the powder in a cloud rising upward like smoke. The two Rockets looked surprised and shocked, before falling asleep.

And Cassidy was long gone.

* * *

Seeing Mt. Moon in shambles changed their plans. They were currently south of Pewter City, which was under heavy surveillance by Team Rocket and the Gym Leader and all other rebels were being held prisoner.

"Alright, we'll turn around and make our way through Saffron instead." Lance said, but Sabrina shook her head.

"No, we need to head for the southern Viridian City gate. This is our chance to get in. I can see it." she said stiffly.

"But Viridian is guarded by Team Rocket! It's their main base!" Lance shouted angrily. He was at the end of his rope. The Alliance was almost over.

"Trust me. Southern Viridian City gate. Let's hurry. We'll have to go around the forest, which will take longer, but the gate will be open." Sabrina said, and Lance sighed.

"What else is there to do? Let's move."

* * *

Ash looked around at the long-abandoned streets of Viridian City. There were signs of gangs growing in the city, because most walls had been spray-painted with group names relating to Pokèmon. There was no surface that was without litter and many Team Rocket recruiting notices were torn in pieces or had things written on them in permanent marker saying things like "I'll join when Moltres freezes!"

May stumbled as a purple rat ran past her, snarling as it's eyes glowed red. The Rattata didn't even notice her, though. It just ran, shrieking.

"Pikachu isn't looking too good. We'd better find the Pokèmon Centre quickly." Ash said sadly.

"Okay, the Pokèmon Centre should be close by. Actually, it should be just around this corner..." Brock said, but faltered as he saw where the Pokèmon Centre used to be.

There was no Pokèmon Centre there. In it's spot was piles of ashes, and smoke still going into the air.

"This place has really gone past saving." Gary said quietly as he noticed the writing on the ground.

**_Li_k_e _C_er_u_l_e_an,_ t_h_is_ b_u_r_n_e_d_ f_or_ no _r_e_a_s_on_._**

**_W_h_e_n_ wi_l_l yo_u_ b_ur_n _f_or _al_l t_he_ ri_gh_t o_n_es,_ G_io_v_a_nn_i?_!**

"Guys, this was recent. We should get out of here." James said nervously.

"I agree, this is obviously not a safe place anymore. We need to find the Team Rocket base and quickly." Silver said.

"Hey! Guys!"

Cassidy ran over to them, slightly drowsy. Her words were hard to understand because she had began to fall asleep.

"I know where... the base is, so if you guys really... want to go through with this, just... go over to the Viridian..."

He eyes shut and she would have fallen over if Jessie and James hadn't caught her in time.

"She must have been saying the Viridian Gym!" Ash said, and Silver nodded.

"Yes, it's probably the only remaining thing in this city that hasn't been ruined. But what do we do with Cassidy? She's going to slow us down, and probably won't wake up anytime soon. I think she's been hit with some Sleep Powder."

"We could send her back to the gate where Butch is," Misty suggested.

"No, because if any Rocket members show up then they'll think she's sleeping on the job." Brock countered.

"You people workin' for Team Rocket?"

A young man stumbled over to them with a Razor Fang in his hand held out like a weapon.

"N-No sir, we're part of the Alliance." May said quickly, but the guy scowled.

"I can see the three Rocket uniforms. I'm no Slowpoke."

Mew made another ear-splitting cry and the guy looked at the box with newfound fear and uncertainty.

"We're undercover fighters." Jessie said crossly, her temper coming back to her.

"Sure you are. Prove it." the man said, his sharp fang looking quite dangerous to the unarmed rebels. Ash was slowly moving in front of the others, and Silver was too.

"I can prove it."

Ash's head whipped around to see the familiar face of Lance, former Champion. He was holding up the Silph. Co symbol, which had become the Alliance one when Team Rocket took over.

Beside him was Butch, Sabrina, Will, Bruno, Lorelei, Agatha, Professor Oak, and his mother. All of them look tired and battered, but still prepared to fight.

"You're Lance!" the guy said, astonished.

"I am. Now, we're going to free Viridian and all other cities from Team Rocket's control. Gather as many willing fighters as you can and tell them that today, the Alliance fights back." he said, and the young man (who was probably a trainer at one point), nodded before pocketing his Razor Fang and running off back into the alleys.

One rebel group looked at the other, still surprised and not quite believing the circumstances.

"So, I assume you have a plan." Lance said casually. May laughed, but stopped when she realized that none of the others were.

"We have an outline." Ash replied. "Cure Pokèrus, stop Team Rocket, save Kanto and Johto, you know. Simple stuff."

Now May, Misty, Gary and Brock laughed at the slight attempt to lighten the mood.

"I see. We'll take care of getting the Rockets out of the city then, and your path into their base will be clear." Lance said, and Ash nodded.

"If only we had a way of telling Team Rocket we were here..." Agatha mused.

None of them spoke, until Jessie pointed up at a building.

"Hey." the former Rocket said, but the rebels didn't listen.

"_Hey_," she said loudly, catching their attention.

"Do you think that television screen still connects to anything besides TR's headquarters?" she asked, and everyone looked up in the direction she had pointed, where a large TV had been built into the side of the building, and was currently showing a black screen with an **_R _**on it. Another was close by, the same image projected on it. Many more buildings were spread out, probably throughout Viridian.

"Jessie, I think I know the building you're thinking of." James said, smiling at his partner.

* * *

When the black screen first flickered, the many Rockets in the city assumed that the connection had been messed up and would be fixed.

When the screen changed completely to show Lance Wataru looking both triumphant and cold at the same time. It was an odd combination that made shivers go up Team Rocket Grunt's spines.

_"Testing- Testing- Hello? Are you listening to me here, people of Viridian?"_

The image of the former Kanto Champion wasn't stable at first, but someone must have fixed that, because it was perfectly clear a few seconds later.

_"This is Lance Wataru, leader of the Alliance and rebel groups. I am currently live, here in Viridian City, projecting this to any television screen in Kanto available. Sure, Lavender has the Radio Tower, but Viridian is well known for being the main news program hosts, and can connect to all cities and town in an emergency. It's also quite easy to hack into the Team Rocket database. Gio, have someone work on that."_

* * *

Pewter City, Kanto

_"I am speaking here, now, not only to the people of Viridian, not only to the rebels, but to anyone and everyone in Kanto right now watching. I am telling you that now is the time! Now you must fight! Even the smallest thing like taking out a Rocket in your neighbourhood will make a difference!"_

Flint, the former Gym Leader of Pewter City, left his house and television screen and walked over to his neighbours and told them to turn on their TVs. He then left and walked into the next house, saying the same thing.

* * *

Saffron City, Kanto

_"We may have different skills, but we all connected in one way together: Pokèmon. And even though Team Rocket took that away, we still connect through it. They brought joy into our lives and warmth into our hearts, and we did everything we could to care for the wonderful creatures that changed our ways of life."_

Cars in the street stopped and people wandering the sidewalks all looked up towards the giant screens that usually played mind-numbing pop songs and flashed bright, colourful commercials now playing the former Kanto Champion's speech.

* * *

Celdon City, Kanto

_"And when you decide today or not to join the fight, remember the Pokèmon that you had a bond with, that may be gone forever now because of Team Rocket! Because of him!"_

The Department Store, Game Corner, and many other screens in the city played this speech, and courageous people ran at the Rockets, leading others to join in as Team Rocket was attacked in the once beautiful city.

* * *

Cerulean City, Kanto

_"Giovanni has destroyed our peaceful way of life to become the most powerful, but he will never truly be that if we stand united with the memories of our __Pokèmon by our side as we overthrow him!"'_

Citizens of Cerulean walked out into their damaged roads and began to shout at Rockets as the crowds slowly overtook the poor Grunts and they were trampled by the chaos.

* * *

Fuchsia City, Kanto

_"So, now, I ask of you: fight. Fight for everything your __Pokèmon did for you. Fight for the hope that Team Rocket will be gone today. Fight for the chance to start over as free people without Team Rocket controlling your lives!"_

Rebels everywhere shouted out their agreement and began moving towards the nearest Rocket bases and beginning their fight.

* * *

Viridian City, Kanto

_"And to the people of Team Rocket out there, I have one warning for you. The Alliance is coming. Beware, Giovanni, because this fight is far from finished. Good day, people of Kan-__"_

A screech in the background disrupted their final words, and a female voice shouted out.

_"Mew's fighting to break free of the cage!"_

The screen hastily went black, and that was when the streets of Viridian was overwhelmed by a swarm of people of all different gender, sizes, and occupation. Co-ordinators, trainers, chefs, breeders, researchers, Pokèmon Doctors, scientists, and even ladies, lasses, and gentlemen. It was an all-out war.

The gates were the first to fall. The Rockets were knocked out and tied up while the people continued to rage on the streets. Crowds fought Grunts watching over the city, taking them down too. A few building were lit on fire, and chaos became disaster.


	42. Unexpected Turns

**Change of plans. Kit's being insistent that I update _again_.**

**I don't own Pokèmon.**

* * *

_"Giovanni, sir? The Alliance has somehow found it's way into Viridian City and projected themselves across Kanto from the old television centre. Many of our forces are under attack in multiple cities, but we have enough to surround the building. Do I give the order, sir?" _a young but more experienced Grunt asked through a headpiece.

"Yes. Make sure to capture as many as you can alive, and find my Mew!" he said angrily.

_"Will do, sir." _the Grunt replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Viridian television station, a large group of people were trying to get as far away as possible from the prison holding it captive. The walls of the awkward cage had been completely bent out of shape, with very scary dents pointing outward and looking like a ballon about to pop.

"Okay team, we've got to get out of here. Ash, pick a group and Mew's cage. Sneak or break your way into Team Rocket's HQ. The remaining people will manage the mayhem outside in the city. Everyone needs to exit this building, because Team Rocket knows our location. Let's move!" Lance shouted, and it was a mad scramble to escape through the fire escape stairwell.

Ash grabbed ahold of Mew's destroyed box of sorts and was the last one in their train. Gary took initiative and was first, watching for Team Rocket members who might have used the stairs to get upstairs, and Butch was doing his best to carry Cassidy, who was starting to stir.

They managed to get outside, but minutes later they saw Grunts everywhere slowly closing in on them, a horde of black uniforms and white boots.

Lance looked towards Ash, who was a leader of sorts.

"Ash, pick a group to go with you, and hurry!" he said, and Ash nodded.

"Right. Gary, May, Misty, Silver, Brock, stick with me." he said, and the named people shifted a bit to go onto Ash's side.

"Let's get going!" he said, and the small team ran towards a side alley.

"Wait, Ash Ketchum."

Sabrina stopped him in his tracks and he stumbled a bit.

"Yes, Sabrina?"

She reached into her pocket and removed three shrunken, damaged Pokèballs.

"These belong to you. I believe that you will need them later."

He gave a small grin.

"Thanks for keeping them safe, Sabrina." Ash said, and she walked away silently as he followed his group towards the Rocket base.

Agatha smiled.

"I always knew it would be an odd group like that one that would take Giovanni out." she said, and the others nodded.

And then the Rockets finally had them surrounded, and the battle began.

* * *

"Okay, we have to get to the Viridian Gym!" Misty said, and Gary pointed north.

"The Gym is that way!" he said quietly, and the group continued to carefully get closer.

The Viridian Gym was a regal looking building. When Ash had last been there, there was stone pillars in the front, and the Gym seemed very professional. But now it was more modern. The building was dark, black, and shiny, but there was oddly no guards patrolling the structure.

"We should split up and search for ways to get in. May, you team up with Gary. Brock, go with Silver. Misty, tag along with me." Ash said softly.

"Which team takes Mew's cage?" Misty asked.

"We'll take it." Gary said. "May and I can handle Mew."

None of them disagreed, so Ash passed over the completely wrecked box-like cage and Gary took it, shifting his weight to hold it.

"Here Ash, take Pikachu with you. He might be strong enough to battle later." Brock said, giving the mouse back to his trainer. Pikachu had stopped bleeding, but had been asleep for a while now, probably regaining energy.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

May &amp; Gary

"Come on! Let's do this!" May said, slightly cheerful. Gary gave her a smile.

"Yeah, let's stop Team Rocket." he said, but winced as Mew gave another ear-piercing cry.

"Shhhhh! You'll tell Team Rocket where we are!" May said, but Mew didn't really listen. The small cat-like creature was attacking the wall of the cage again, and the force knocked the small prison out of Gary's arms and it tumbled to the ground with a clattering noise.

May lifted Mew's cage off the ground while Gary watched for any Rockets that may have noticed the noise and come looking.

Some Grunts were shouting in the distance, and Gary walked over to the backdoor of the Viridian Gym.

"The coast's clear. Why the Rockets aren't here is a blessing for us. Let's hurry." he said, and the pair walked over to the door. A small keyboard was next to it.

There were footsteps in the distance.

"Looks like we need a password to open this door. We'll never be able to get in now!" May said sadly.

Gary pulled on the door knob with all his strength, but it wouldn't budge.

The footsteps were sounding closer.

"Uh, Gary? Isn't that a security camera?" May asked, and managed to point at a small machine up high with a small red light showing that it was on.

"Arceus!" the researcher cursed. "We have to get out of here!"

Too late.

"Surrender now!" a Grunt said sternly, and the duo had no choice but to put down Mew's cage and give up.

* * *

Silver &amp; Brock

Silver saw an entrance very quickly after only one careful loop around the building. He ran back over to where Brock was waiting to explain his plan.

"Okay, we just need to find a way onto the roof. I'm not sure if you can see it, but there's a vent up there, and if we can get to it, there's not limit to where we can go inside there. Plus, there's no Rockets guarding the roof, so all we have to do is-"

There was some shouts by the Gym.

"Was that Ash?" Brock questioned. Silver shrugged.

"I've got no idea. Anyway, we could easily get inside the building once we get to the roof. But we'll have to be careful because there's cameras everywhere."

"Got it. Let's hurry." Brock said, and the two of them walked closer to the building, Silver leading the way to where the air vent was closest to.

_But how do we get up there? _Silver asked himself. _The building is way too high to climb and there's no other buildings that we can jump from close enough that we wouldn't fall to our deaths. If only we had a Flying type Pokèmon with us, we'd be able to easily soar to the roof and be done!_

Brock suddenly pointed out something he hadn't thought of.

"Hey Silver? Why don't we just disguise ourselves?" he asked, pointing to a Rocket duo wandering the streets with flashlights.

_Why didn't I think of that?_

* * *

Ash &amp; Misty

"Ash, I don't think walking right through the front doors is a bright idea." Misty grumbled.

"There's no security or guards! They'll never see us coming" he said, and for a moment, Misty was reminded of the old days, back when Ash was an annoying 10-year-old travelling around Kanto and saying the stupidest things. It was comforting to remember better days.

Until Ash's shout brought her back to reality when he pointed out a camera at the front door.

"They can see us! Run!" he yelled, and turned around with Misty following as Rockets swarmed out of nowhere.

"Go Misty!" he said, and turned around with Pikachu still in his arms to glare at Team Rocket. She gasped.

_He was buying her time._

It may have seemed like something any friend would do for another in a situation like this where only one of them could possibly make it, but to Misty, it felt different.

She swore that her heart skipped a beat.

* * *

"So, how many were caught?"

"Three, and Mew was with them. There's possibly more still out there, though. What do we do?" the Grunt asked.

"Just wait. They'll all come eventually. Put the ones we've got in cells and take away any Pokèballs they might have. I'll alert Giovanni that Mew was caught."

Domino walked away, down the hall, leaving the Rocket to deliver the commands to her fellow Grunts.

* * *

Misty hurried down an alley, narrowly avoiding a Hard Stone aimed at her head. She spotted the duo she was looking for and ran towards them.

"You two are just who I need right now!" she said, and they looked at her curiously.

* * *

Gary sighed.

"Why is it, when I'm caught, Ash is _always_ with me?"

Ash stuck his tongue out at the brunette rather childishly.

"I'm not _always_ with you, just 99% of the time." he said, grinning.

"How can you smile right now?" Gary scowled.

"Guys, stop butting heads. We have to look on the bright side. Misty, Brock and Silver are still out there, so we still might get out of this okay." May said.

The trio had been placed together in a cell, and Gary had been grumbling the whole time.

"Y'know, this might be the same cell we were in last time, Gary." Ash chimed in, and Gary mumbled angry things under his breath.

A door opened, and then slammed shut as footsteps came closer.

Ash was instantly frowning at the familiar face.

"Oh great, Domino. Just who we needed right now. You made everything so much better." he said. "And if you can't tell, that was sarcasm."

She scoffed. "I just wanted you to know that your other friends won't be out there long. They'll come back sooner or later and we'll catch them soon enough."

"Well, you're right about one thing. We _did_ come back."

The door shut again, and two people smirked.

"Prepare for trouble, because we've broken in,"

"And make it double, 'cause we always seem to win."

"To protect the world from Team Rocket's domination,"

"And to help save the Kanto and Johto nation!"

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"Teaching the losing team a thing or two..." the golden haired woman said.

"The victors in the end," her partner added.

"Us! Not you!" they said together, finishing their motto. May was about to clap, but Ash and Gary shook their heads, telling her that it wasn't the right time.

Domino rolled her eyes.

"Cassidy and Botch? Please. You idiots are just dead weight, no matter which side you're on."

"Does dead weight have the master key?" Butch asked, and held up a small silver object.

Domino wasn't expecting that one.

* * *

"So you're carrying those to the storage cabinet?" a Grunt asked the other.

"Yeah." the guy replied. "One of those kids had this Pikachu on it's death bed that I recalled. What kind of idiot carries a Pokèmon around still?"

He then began to walk away, deciding to take a shortcut through the Pokèmon lab.

The Pokèball fell out of the bin as the Grunt carelessly shifted the container's weight and it fell to the ground with a quiet click as it hit the ground and rolled silently across the tile floor, unnoticed by Rockets.

It hit a table leg and released the Scratch Cat Pokèmon. The tan cat was hissing for a few seconds, then shuddered, it's blue eyes recognizing the near identical lab deep below the Team Rocket headquarters that looked similar to the old one. He heard strange noises coming from a deformed metal cage. It sounded like growling.

Meowth quietly snuck up over to the cage, his claws sharp and ready for the job he didn't understand completely but had to do before he lost control of this moment of sanity. His claws glowed white as they grew a little, and he slashed continuously at the weakest point in the cage, his Fury Swipes doing what the Pokèmon inside couldn't and attacking from the other side.

A final swipe, and he slashed four claws through the metal. Two more hits and a hole was open.

Mew looked up and scanned the room, red eyes glittering maliciously. Team Rocket would pay. The real fun would begin.


	43. Titanic

**Hey there, people. It's Typhlosion8, here with the 43 chapter of IMDH!**

**I don't own Pokèmon, of course, and don't have the time to waste with weird long author notes, because the finale is coming close! Get on with the story!**

* * *

The Master Ball shook with a newfound ferocity, but Giovanni shook his head.

"Calm down. You'll have your turn. For now, just wait."

* * *

In a normal world, they would have been engaged in a Pokèmon battle, and Lance would be thrashing the poor Rockets scattered around the city. They would be falling down like dominoes, one after another, as each Pokèmon attack brought a new wave of power. The war between Team Rocket and the Alliance would have been over a long time ago, and the many lives lost would be much less. And the Rocket standing in front of him would be burnt to a crisp or frozen or, better yet, arrested.

As it was right now, he was throwing objects and fist fighting like a common gang member.

Sadly, Lance learned right off the bat that he was not a good street fighter. Pokèmon battles were all he'd ever known, and throwing empty Hyper Potions bottles and whatever else he could find was not easy for him. It didn't help that he had horrible aim.

"How exactly did you toss Pokèballs back when you were in the League?" Jessie, the former Rocket, asked, grinning. He scowled at her in response before tossing what looked like a solid gold Nugget at a Grunt, and somehow managed to hit it's mark, because the guy was knocked out cold and collapsed to the ground. The Nugget rolled back towards them, and Jessie pocketed it.

"Seriously, how did you fight battles if you couldn't even release your Pokèmon?" she persistently asked him again.

"Keep bugging me and I'll find an Iron Ball to 'accidentally' hit your head with." Lance said, and the magenta haired woman scoffed angrily but quietly smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, two of our heroes were on the third floor of the Team Rocket base, trying to get downstairs to help their friends escape. The Grunts were screaming something about Mew on the fourth floor, and everyone was rushing to get out of the base.

"So, what's the plan now?" Brock asked. Silver groaned.

"I didn't plan for this. All we can do is try to get to the fifth floor." he said

"Hey! You two! Get over here!" a Rocket called out at them across the room. The grunt was near what looked like a staircase.

"Y-Yes sir." Brock said, truly scared. If this Rocket caught them, it was over.

They stumbled over, and the Rocket scowled at them, upset.

"It's ma'am. Can't you tell I'm female even in this hideous outfit?" she whispered, but there was a playfulness in her voice that could only mean one thing.

Both of the disguised Rockets were surprised.

"Misty?"

The girl smiled. "I had to come help out."

"But how did you sneak in without anyone noticing?" Silver asked. Misty frowned.

"The same way you did. You're not the first person to ever knock out a Rocket and steal their uniform."

* * *

A cry from above them stopped the words about to leave Domino's mouth.

"What was that?" Gary asked, eyes wide.

"Mew," Domino said breathlessly, and shoved Butch and Cassidy out of the way as she ran from the room. The two former Rockets looked startled, but both quickly got over it and Butch unlocked their door. He looked down the hall.

"Anyone else here?" he called out. Two replies had him wandering down the hallway, and he unlocked two doors across from each other, releasing the prisoners.

One of them was none other than the Celadon City Gym Leader Erika, and the other was also familiar to Ash. In fact, May got a little confused at the sight of him.

"Hey, you look like Ash!" she said. The teen grinned.

"I get that a lot. I'm Ritchie." he said cheerily.

* * *

"So, how did you two end up here?" Gary asked the rebels.

Erika spoke up.

"A Rocket member came into my Gym. He said his name was Archer, and that the Celadon Gym was closed for good, and all members of the Gym were under arrest for aiding the rebellion. Most of my trainers escaped with their Grass types knocking out the Grunts, but I was cornered and captured. The beautiful Gym was left in shambles, and my city was left for Team Rocket to take over."

Ritchie gave a sad smile.

"I got captured at least a week ago. I was working with the Alliance down in Fuchsia City and had decided to go to Celdon to help the rebel cause there get back on it's feet. I went with a couple of others, but they got away. Things went pretty well, until the Pokèmon started acting up. Soon, they were attacking everyone, and in the chaos, I was caught by a Rocket who quickly noticed my Alliance badge." he said, and pointed to a small, shiny pin attached to his hat.

"Well, you're still stuck here until either the Pokèmon are cured or Team Rocket is defeated, so I suggest laying low in the base until then." Ash said, and they both nodded.

"As for us, we're going to do whatever we can to stop Team Rocket from permanently taking over Kanto." he finished, and the words seemed to strengthen them all.

* * *

Alarms were ringing everywhere, the blaring noise jarring the senses as Rockets ran away from the source: a small pink creature with enough power to destroy their headquarters completely.

Grunts were terrified, wailing "What do we do?!" and "Give us mercy, Arceus!"

It would have been funny if they were watching it from safety far away, but since they weren't, the full weight of how their death could happen very quickly was making it very hard to say calm.

May was making squeaky sounds and shaking, Cassidy was in Butch's arms and whimpering "I'm too pretty to die!" and Gary was trying his best not to freak out. Ash was silent, watching as the headquarters (which he assumed was underground, because that seemed to make sense. Ground type Gym, hello?) started to cave in.

The prisoner cells was in the deepest part of the Team Rocket headquarters, on the lowest floor, according to Butch. Above them was the laboratories on the fourth floor, storage space on the third, Rocket living quarters on the second, and the first floor was part of the Gym, where they kept extra Gym supplies and the currently unused Gym Leader office and quarters. Now it had become another Rocket supply space with uniforms, Pokèmon cages, and other gear.

The second, third, fourth, and fifth floor was not supposed to exist, but a couple of Rhydons had dug below the first floor decades ago and created the second and third floor for Team Rocket's use back in Madame Boss's legacy. The fourth floor was built in 10 years ago and the fifth was created a few years before Team Rocket took over.

Right now, there was a lot of rock shaking, and a lot of dust was in the air. The Rockets that had been on the floor were all gone now, fleeing to a higher level.

"I have a feeling that this floor is about to be buried by the fourth floor collapsing, so we should go as fast as possible." Ritchie said, and as soon as he said that, a large part of the ceiling crumbled away, bringing with it frightened Grunts and laboratory machinery.

Screams were heard, and none of them decided to find out why. Ash pointed towards a staircase, and the group stormed their way up the stairs, climbing up a flight.

"Does each staircase only go up one level?" Gary asked Butch. He nodded. "The elevator's out of order right now."

"I'm not sure what idiot designed these, but I really want to hunt them down!" Cassidy said angrily.

* * *

To Ash, seeing Team Rocket's lab was like being in that laboratory on Cinnabar Island all over again.

There was odd liquids spilt on the floor, and glass shards and machinery were everywhere. Unfortunate Rockets who didn't escape were looking lifeless and too far gone on the ground, victims of Mew's Psychic power.

Mew was screeching at the few people still able to move, a small handful of Rockets and scientists. The pink creature was glowing blue, and suddenly, the remaining people slumped to the ground.

May gasped, and Gary quickly covered her mouth. She was looking at a tan coloured cat that was hissing as it slunk across the room, away from Mew.

It was her Meowth.

* * *

**Honestly, this whole chapter made me think of _Titanic_. Mew was the leak, sinking the fourth and soon fifth floor, and taking down the rest of the base with it because of how it's built. The poor Rockets and our heroes were the ones trying to escape a sinking ship without enough lifeboats. ****Anyway, I'll see you next Monday.**

**Goodbye for now, **

**Typhlosion8**


	44. An Unwanted War

**Disclaimer: I've been forgetting to post the disclaimer. That's bad. You need a weekly update on my status with owning Pokèmon! (which I do not yet...)**

**Good morning! Happy 12AM post from a still-awake writer!**

**Hey guys. Sorry I didn't post last Monday. I've had a bad combination of writer's block, losing track of time during summer break, and, thanks to Kit, I've been watching an awesome show non-stop. It's called _Fairy Tail_ and is my second favourite show, with _Pokèmon_ being #1, of course. I'm finished episode 175 already! (But I have to wait for the next episodes to be put in english dub...)**

**Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't post on time last week. But I'll do it this week!**

* * *

Ritchie had never seen anything quite this powerful. Even though people compared him to Ash, he'd never had as many experiences as his friend did. And meeting a Legendary Pokèmon was one thing he'd never done, so seeing Mew like this was amazing, even though the moment would be fleeting if he didn't get away from the pink cat creature.

None of them spoke, for speaking right now would be like asking to join the many lifeless Rockets here and everywhere else in the building. Instead, they were silent, and Ash took a careful step sideways in the hopes of alerting the Legendary Pokèmon to their presence.

Mew didn't notice them, but gave a screech (or was it more of a roar?) that rattled anything not smashed on the floor by now. The Pokèmon seemed to be absorbing energy, because it glowed a white light before firing a beam of pure power straight up that literally disintegrated anything in it's path. When the light was gone, all that was left was a hole that went through three floors and the roof of the Viridian Gym and some sparkling remains of the energy. Mew had escaped.

"W-Was that a H-Hyper Beam?" Butch asked, eyes wide.

Even Gary, being a researcher and the closest thing they had to a PokèDex, was uncertain.

"Rumours about Legendary Pokèmon say that they have power unlike any other, and can use energy to form moves that no other Pokèmon can or will ever use. Even the Legendaries themselves may create a move they'll only ever use once. There are even speculations on whether Legendary Pokèmon are more than on another level than regular Pokèmon. They have a power that even the most powerful, most adaptable, most persistent Pokèmon, wild or trained, will never be able to tap into." he replied.

Meanwhile, Ash had found a Pokèball in a plastic bin in the remains of the lab that looked like a Lure Ball, the same type of Pokèball he'd caught his Totodile in. It was with many other classic red and white ones that all looked less shiny than usual and obviously untouched for quite some time.

"Hey guys! I found our Pokèballs!" he called out, and the others hurried over to claim their Pokèmon. Ritchie found another bin with some familiar Pokèballs that looked like his own and Erika's.

"How do they know which ones are theirs?" Butch asked Cassidy.

"Who knows. It's one of those things you don't question." she replied.

Soon, once everyone had their teams and May had managed to recall Meowth, they were ready to escape the Team Rocket HQ that was looking more and more like a deathtrap with all of the damage threatening to kill them without warning.

It must have been a stroke of luck for the Rockets who wandered down there to be none other than Brock, Silver, and Misty.

"_Misty? _When did you become a Rocket?" Ash asked. The girl in question rolled her eyes and scowled in annoyance.

"Never mind that. We need to get out of here before the whole building collapses on us." Misty answered sharply. Since none of them wanted to be on the receiving end of her mallet, they didn't argue.

* * *

Meanwhile, a familiar villain was silently walking through the second floor. The main exit was destroyed when the Legendary Pokèmon smashed through the ground with it's full power. The recoil caused the Gym to demolish inward like a sinkhole, trapping them underneath and blocking the only way out of the Rocket hideout.

Or, at least, the only one known to the main forces.

Hidden on the first floor, beneath the Viridian Gym, was a secret exit, and it's location was only known to eight people. One of those people has been dead for many years, another hasn't been seen in the TR underground base in almost a decade, and the remaining six people have never told another living soul.

Those people were Giovanni, Arianna, Proton, Petrel, Archer, and Domino.

Right now, it was the teal haired Rocket Proton trying to escape the headquarters who came to this exit. He skillfully snuck past any Rockets who might have noticed him and now, he was escaping without anyone knowing that he was ever there. None of the people in this building would be able to by the time he was gone. If there were survivors, they would be in jail before they could take revenge on him.

As he walked through the well-built secret tunnel, he could only look at the light shining off the metal walls and smile. They thought they'd snuck in unnoticed.

_Those Alliance brats are done for._

* * *

The Rockets down there didn't look at them oddly or seem to care at all that there were Alliance people wandering their base with them. They were much more preoccupied with escaping their hideout intact.

"Silver, the exit is blocked! Why are we going up?" Gary asked. They were currently on the second floor, where the Grunts still breathing had gathered.

"Because that's where the exit is." he replied. The red haired trainer then motioned for the group to stop. He looked at the mess of people running around.

"LISTEN UP!" he shouted, and his voice got the attention of the Rockets, who halted instantly in their tracks.

"I know of an exit we can use to escape this deathtrap, but you have to be calm and orderly. You will listen to me or any of the Alliance people with me, because we are trying to save your idiotic lives from being another one of those human shields your boss uses to stay hidden and keep from fighting." he said, and there was complete silence.

"When you get out of here, you will surrender and stop fighting the Alliance and the innocent people of Kanto, or you will be arrested."

Although none of the poor Rockets spoke, a few silently nodded their heads _ever_ so slightly to show that they agreed.

"As of this moment, Team Rocket is officially disbanded."

Then there were sudden gasps of outrage.

"He can't just _disband_ Team Rocket like that!"

"Without Team Rocket, who am I?"

"Who do you think you are, redhead?"

"Back off! We're members of Team Rocket, now and forever!"

"I'm _never_ going to stop being a member!"

"Where's the Boss? Make him show this loser his place!"

The whispers and angry shouts became a fully-fledged crowd of black hats and uniforms shaking their fists and calling out for Silver to be taken out. Misty had her hands into fists and was so furious, it was radiating off of her like a Heat Wave attack.

"Hey!" she yelled, and the Rockets were quiet again.

"You fools don't understand what's going on. This is a matter of _life_ or _death_, and you're upset because you want your stupid _club_ to stay together? You so called "Boss" doesn't even care about you enough to help you escape himself!" Misty said, and her words seemed to be powered by her rage.

"You people are like pawns in a game of chess. He just puts you forward and silently plots while you fall! We saw many of you die on an island because of his orders, and does he care? NO! He didn't say a word that even sounded like remorse! He doesn't care if you're all killed here in the rubble from the Gym _he's_ in charge of in a city _he_ took over in a Pokèmon War _he_ was the one who wanted it in the first place!" she shouted, and then her voice suddenly softened.

"You went from simply stealing Pokèmon to getting into a fight with the Pokèmon League. You're common criminals, not terrorists. This is what he wanted, not you. Isn't it time you did what was best for _yourselves_ now?" the teen asked, and gave a small smile.

Silence.

Then footsteps.

A lone Grunt stepped forward. There was confidence in her eyes.

"The girl is right. I can't speak for all of you, but I know that I never wanted this. So many of my friends are gone, sent on missions they never returned from. I don't want to die today, and I don't want to fight ever again!"

"Yeah!" a voice shouted.

"Team Rocket used to be better than this!" another called out.

"I miss the old days!"

"We've lost everything! Our fiends, our Pokèmon, and even our identities!"

"You think you're so strong? Go ahead and fight the Alliance on your own, _Giovanni_!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" someone said.

"Surrender now, or you'll be in for a fight!" the Grunts finished, their famous motto finish directed at their now former "Boss".

Ash grinned. The war with Giovanni was suddenly much more hopeful now.

* * *

At first, it was hard to organize an orderly exit. It was hard to hear the Alliance people overtop of the Rockets as they spoke to one another about Arceus knows what.

Ritchie, Erika, May, and Brock split the Grunts into groups, while Butch, Cassidy, Gary, and Ash led them to and through the secret escape tunnel Silver had told them where to find. The red haired teen was patrolling inside the tunnel, watching for any people that might come from the other side.

According to Silver, the tunnel led under the Viridian City and the Viridian Forest, coming out at the old Team Rocket HQ, deep in the mountains by Indigo Plateau. Silver muttered something quietly, (probably more to himself) about the location, saying it was supposed to be a laugh to the league, having the base next door to them.

Finally, the nine of them walked into the tunnel and shut the door behind them, following the path the Rockets had walked down earlier towards their long-forgotten hideout.

They were actually going to get to Indigo Plateau and fight Team Rocket. They were actually going to stop Giovanni.

* * *

**And there you go, people! Chapter 44! And the gears in my mind are spinning again, so Chapter 45 will definitely be out next Monday!**

**I'll be seeing you next week!**

**Goodbye for now,**

**Typhlosion8**


	45. The Pink & Purple Heroes

**Disclaimer**** I do not own Pokèmon.**

**Hello, my loyal followers, and welcome to another chapter of IMDH! Today we'll be finally getting back into the action. Prepare for excitement! Move to the edge of your seat beforehand! Let's get this show on the road! **

**Chapter 45!**

* * *

As the last ones, the rebels closed the secret door behind them and began their trek down the long-hidden tunnel.

Ash was fidgeting with one of the Pokèballs on his belt. The one with the tiny sticker on it.

He wanted to release Pikachu, because he knew the mouse hated being in his Pokèball, his injuries wouldn't get any worse. It was another benefit of the red and white sphere.

For now, he'd keep him inside.

* * *

"How much farther?" May groaned. "I'm ready to collapse!"

Cassidy rolled her eyes at the brunette.

"You're fine. Quit whining." she snapped at the girl. May grumbled.

Gary was closest to the front, and was anxiously looking around him almost every time he took a step. He hadn't snuck into anything this dangerous since the time he caught a ride on the bottom of one of Hunter J's vehicles to rescue the Shieldon she captured.

"Calm down, Gary. This passage hasn't been used in years, long before the war. There was never really a need for it." Silver said, but that didn't make the researcher any calmer.

"I don't see why you twerps are all worked up. The Team Rocket HQ hasn't been used in years. We'll be fine." Butch said nonchalantly.

"Whatever, Biff." Misty said, not paying attention to the scowl he gave her.

"Come on guys, quit fooling around. We're in enemy territory." Ash suddenly said to them, and they were all silent, the mood shifting quickly from slightly playful to serious in a matter of seconds.

"Ash is right. We should be prepared for anything right now." Brock said.

From there, they were quieter, and a dreary aura seemed to fall on them. When May pointed out the exit door, you could almost hear the sighs of relief leaving everyone's mouths.

"Okay, remember: we must stay hidden at all costs. Got it?" Silver asked, and they nodded.

"Good. I know of a way to escape the building without passing any cameras. Just follow my lead." he said, and pushed open the door.

It opened in a very large, very dark room.

"Does anyone know where we are?" Brock asked.

Ash carefully moved around, trying to find a light switch. Before he did, though, the lights came on in a poor glow above them, flickering a little from disuse.

A Rocket was looking at them, studying their faces. He smirked.

"I was wondering how long I'd have to wait before you Alliance rebels came through. I heard the Grunts stomping through the tunnel from this end and hid. I know this room well. After all, it is _my_ former office."

"You're that Rocket we fought in the Viridian Gym last time!" Gary said suddenly, understanding hitting him. "You were an Executive!"

"And still am," Proton said.

His eyes swept over the room, and he recognized Silver.

"So, you really are part of the Alliance now. I'm surprised. I assumed you'd stay hidden away. It's too bad, because now you'll have the same fate as the rest of them."

"Wait, what fate? I'm not ready to die!" May cried out. Ash glared at Proton.

"We aren't going to die! Team Rocket is all but gone. There's six of you left. I'm no genius, but those odds look bad compared to the Alliance, and don't forget every single person in Kanto. It's over. Giovanni has lost." he said, and the Executive seemed a little shaken, but shook it off.

"Whatever. I'm only here still because my Boss wanted me to offer you the chance to surrender."

"Why would we surrender?" Misty asked him.

"Because, in return, he offers _this_."

In his hands was a small vial of a purple potion.

* * *

_**The rage of Pokèrus was flowing through the Legendary, and he welcomed it's feeling. It had been too long since he'd felt this angry, and being able to radiate pure outrage gave him a sentimental feeling.**_

_Remember your duty-_

**_The small feeling of softness in his mind was snuffed out like a candle as his mind went back into it's livid state._**

_But Team Rocket-_

**_Who cares? The humans could deal with them, for all he cared. They were so strong, they could deal with the stupid Rockets. IT wasn't like he cared if the one with the Pikachu was killed with his friends! He didn't have feelings!_**

_But you thought of the humans._

**_He didn't cut the voice off, it just faded away on it's own, like it was _****_purposely leaving him to think about it's words._**

**_Go away! I don't want to think about the humans and their war! Team Rocket means nothing to me! I could care less about them controlling the world and ruining it with their stupid views and idiocy!_**

**_Arceus, he was thinking too much about them again!_**

_Let me take control again. Let me fight-_

**_No! You are too peaceful! You will not make their blood spill! If I must fight, I must destroy all humans, including the stupid rebels and the Rockets!_**

_You are weak._

**_What?_**

_You are afraid that if I take over, you will not be able to come back. I am ashamed to be controlled by such a cowardly force._

**_Cowardly?! FINE! Take over! You will not last long anyway! You are weak without me!_**

_._

_._

_._

_We shall see._

_Then the red haze that had blurred my vision was lifted, and I used Future Sight before Teleport._

_I had to hurry._

* * *

"What is that?"

Brock was the first to speak, his rational side coming into play as he looked at Proton calmly.

"This is the thing you all want the most right now. The cure. One drop of this potion, and every Pokèmon on each of your teams that tastes this will be normal once more. In return, Giovanni asks that you submit and follow me to a locked cell where you will wait until the fight is over and he has won. Then, you will be released and given jobs to fulfill in his new world. All I need to hear is three words. I. Give. Up." the Executive replied.

There was a shocked silence. None of them could believe that it was that easy, or that Giovanni wouldn't kill them all after he won.

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Cassidy asked.

"If it was, then I would still be speaking the same words to you. It's up to you whether you believe me or not. After all, I _am_ a Team Rocket Execu-"

Proton gasped in pain before doubling over as an almost purple glow illuminated around him before pulsing out with a booming noise as the psychic energy engulf them all, pushing them back. The Rocket staggered forward, then suddenly looked up.

A Pokèmon stood- no, _levitated- _in front of him, eyes glowing. He wore a scary looking expression that no one in their right mind would want to cross.

"You're Mewtwo." he whispered softly, like a child that had lost a game.

_"So I am." _he replied telepathically, giving a small smirk.

With a motion quicker than Zapdos's lightning itself, he swiped the cure from Proton and disappeared.

* * *

The glass vial was weaker than any ice he'd ever shattered, the empty container breaking into minuscule particles with a blink of his eye.

Sometimes, it was nice to be a psychic.

The pain was strong, but he could hold on. He _had_ to.

Mew was still in the vicinity of Viridian City, the Pokèrus causing it to go on a rampage that it couldn't control.

He silently appeared by the side of the Mythical Pokèmon, who instantly realized he was there and snarled, whirling around, but it was too late.

He stopped the smaller Legendary with his powerful gaze, freezing it.

Mewtwo then gave a surge of pure energy, the cure still being absorbed into his psychic power, and forced it at the Pokèmon.

_"It's time to save the world."_

_"SAFEGUARD!"_

* * *

_The red haze was... retreating? Why? He didn't think it would ever leave, so why was it now, so suddenly?_

_A voice was speaking to it through telepathy. Was it Mewtwo?_

"SAFEGUARD!"

_The haze was shrinking, and waves of pain suddenly hit, full force. It was unbearable, but the haze was almost gone. The fog was lifting from my mind._

_"Mew? Can you hear my voice?"_

"Yes." _I replied._

_"Good. Can you do me one last favour?"_

* * *

Those who felt the psychic power coming from Mew would later describe it as a ripple that spread through the region of Kanto and continued outward from there, extending through Johto and then moving past the oceans to Hoenn and Sinnoh, and even the farther regions that weren't usually even spoken of by non-natives like Orre, Unova and Kalos. It wasn't as strong of a wave the farther you were from Mew, but the effect was instant.

Every single Pokèmon in the world was healed completely. From Pokèrus in their mind to the battle wounds from fighting amongst themselves, they were spotless.

But something even stranger happened afterwards.

Almost like something else had pulsed, a weaker feeling also went through Kanto, making everyone affected shiver.

Then their Pokèballs opened, releasing glowing white lights of amazing creatures that jumped into battle with the enemy who was registering in the Pokèmon's minds.

Rockets.

From there, anyone in the Grunt uniform was done for. Pewter, Cerulean, Saffron, Celadon, Fuchsia, and Viridian was overwhelmed by the sheer number of beasts completely destroying their teams.

* * *

Lance was speechless as a glowing light revealed his Dragon Pokèmon, who leaped at the Rockets and knocked them all out cold. He had no word, and could only watch as other Pokèmon were released, healthy and virus-free, roaring and fighting.

He looked up to the sky where Mew, the Legendary Pokèmon, had been screeching and smashing anything that moved. Now, it was hovering next to a larger Pokèmon, looking shaken, but calm.

What had happened?

* * *

Proton scowled and moved forward.

"That thief of a Pokèmon took the vial, and now, the Boss will be even angrier at me! This is your fault!" he shouted at them.

Suddenly, a flash of white light revealed a 5'07" orange dragon with a fire raging on it's tail as he stared at the Executive.

Proton didn't say a word, he just looked at the Pokèmon silently, in a state of confusion.

Ash, however, didn't hesitate.

"Flamethrower!"

The poor Rocket became a crisp on the floor.

Ash grinned.

"Well, this is new."

* * *

**Done! Thanks a lot to ChocoChipKitty for her great help! You've once again saved the chapter! ^_^**

**Remember, feedback is appreciated! *hint, hint***

**Am I really going to post this now at 1:22 in the morning? :-/**

**Bye-Bye!**

**Typhlosion8!**


	46. The Long-Awaited Beginning Of The Finale

**Hey guys! Sorry if this did end up late. I was very busy being involved with GISHWHES, which is a week-long scavenger hunt that starts on the first day of August and lasts a week. It's a lot of fun, so if anyone is interested, check out this website:**

**w w w . (gishwhes) . c o m**

**(Remove the spaces and parentheses, of course...)**

**Arceus, my brain has been melted. This is probably really late, and I hope that in your hearts, you'll forgive me long enough for me to finish this story. After that, go ahead and get angry for me not updating every week, and probably only updating whenever I sit down and write long enough to post something. But I'm exhausted and busy and _this story will be the death of me!_**

**Anyway, here's the chapter you've been waiting forever for, 46.**

**Oh, and sorry for finally finishing this chapter and updating while you were on vacation, Kit! I didn't plan on the guilty feeling to finally force me to write this now!**

* * *

Charizard, according to Gary and Brock, looked perfectly healthy. Not only was the effects of Pokèrus completely gone, but any injuries it might have had weren't there. He actually looked better, like he was just healed at a Pokèmon Centre. As much as they tried to figure out why, there was no logical explanation that they could think of.

"It doesn't matter why! This is our chance to go fight for real now! We need to go!" Ash said.

"Ash makes a good point. Assuming that all of our Pokèmon are in just as good shape, right now is the perfect time to move." Ritchie spoke up. The group seemed to be in agreement.

Recalling Charizard, Ash reached for a different Pokèmon.

"Pikachu, let's go!" he said, pointing the Pokèball at the ground and releasing his best friend in a flash of white light.

The yellow mouse looked perfectly fine. His tail wasn't even slightly burnt anymore. But when he looked up, his eyes glowed the bright red colour so well recognized as a sign of the Pokèrus virus. Pikachu sparked angrily, growling at Ash, who fumbled for Pikachu's Pokèball and quickly recalled him with wide eyes. His friends all looked in his direction, sad and confused.

"Why is Pikachu still sick?" Misty asked.

"Maybe it was just Charizard after all..." Brock said sadly.

Everyone stated talking again, trying to voice their own opinions.

"What do we do now?"

"This is really bad..."

"I miss having my Pokèmon!"

Ash, however, wasn't going to let anything stop him from finishing what he started.

"Guys, it doesn't matter!" he shouted. The others turned silent pretty fast.

"I don't care if I have one Pokèmon cured, two, three, it's not important! What matters is that I know there's a cure out there now and I'll do whatever I need to if it means getting that cure. So before we make assumptions, let's get out of here. Then we can release our Pokèmon one by one and check them for Pokèrus. It will be safer if we do it outside anyway."

"But Ash, we don't know where Giovanni is." May said.

Ash gave a grim smile.

"I think I know where. It's the only place of power left. Indigo Plateau. Where it all began."

* * *

The former Team Rocket base was surprisingly empty. There was a feeling of abandonment with everything there, and the amount of dust in there was enough to sneeze for a few hours Rocket Grunts that had come through the tunnel earlier seemed to have vanished, almost like they were never there. In reality, they were probably hiding now and awaiting the end of Giovanni, which they assumed would be happening soon. Hopefully, they were right.

The mountain air was crisp and cold as the last Pokèmon, Silver's Feraligatr, was recalled. Other than Pikachu, every single Pokèmon was in perfect condition. Not a scratch could be seen on them, not even any battle scars were left on them. They were as flawless as they day they hatched.

"This is where we part ways now." Ash said.

"What do you mean?" May asked the question they all were wondering.

"I can't let you guys be put at risk. I need to stop Giovanni, and if any of you were hurt, I would never forgive myself. I can't lead you into possible death, and this will be the most dangerous thing I've ever done. Besides, I have to do this." he said stubbornly.

"No way Ash! We're not letting you go after him alone! He's the maniac who had enough power to take over Kanto!" Misty said angrily, and Ash glared at her.

"You think I don't understand that? I know how powerful he is, but I have faith that I can beat him. It's just him and three of his henchmen left, and I can take them down!"

"You're not going to ditch us that easily." Gary said stiffly.

"We're coming with you Ash." Brock said. Silver was oddly quiet.

"No you're not. I have to do this. I have to beat him! You don't understand! He's ruined everything that ever mattered to me, and now I have to do this one last thing!" Ash yelled, not ready to give in.

"But you'll need help!" Ritchie said, and Misty only scowled in anger.

"I won't! I'm the one who defeated the League! He just took my title!" Ash said. "Why can't you guys just go to safet-"

"Ash is half right." Silver said, and his voice was louder than Ash's, cancelling him out.

"Ash probably doesn't need much help, but he will need help. So, I'm going with him to finish Team Rocket for good, and I'm taking Gary and Misty with me. Everyone else I'm sending to Viridian City. Go and find Lance. If he doesn't already know, tell him that the Pokèrus virus might be cured for some reason, and that Team Rocket isn't much of a threat anymore." the red haired trainer said, and none of them wanted to argue with him after seeing the huge crocodile he had released earlier.

Brock became the leader, and the remaining trainers headed towards the Viridian Forest and the city beyond.

* * *

"Why did you single us out?" Gary asked. The three of them were walking behind Ash, who was still upset about the three of them tagging along.

"You two looked strong, and I needed help to take out the other Executives. Proton was already taken out of the picture by Ash's Charizard. I could handle Petrel and Archer on my own, but not with Ariana too. This way, I can take Arianna out, and you two can each take an Executive, leaving Giovanni free for Ash to deal with."

"That's a good plan." Misty said, surprised. Silver scowled.

"Of course it is. I plan these things out before I act, unlike Ash. But he's determined to fix this."

Silver seemed to sadden ever so slightly.

"He thinks it's his fault Team Rocket came to power, when the blame is mine. All those years ago, I helped him sneak into their base. He might have found another solution, one that would have kept him safe, but it was my foolhardy idea to help him sneak into their headquarters. It was my fault that he went there, my fault he was caught, and my fault that Giovanni took over Kanto. But I plan on taking Team Rocket down, and I won't let Ash ruin his life anymore."

Neither of them knew how to respond to that revelation, so they just continued to follow Ash as he walked down the towards a large building in the distance illuminated by lights and the finality it radiated.

* * *

The Viridian Forest was much easier to traverse now. It seemed that all the Pokèmon were cured, because nothing with glowing red eyes jumped out to attack them. Before they knew it, the small group was at Viridian City. They quickly split up; Butch and Cassidy went off who knows where, Ritchie and Erika mentioned trying to make their way to Celadon City and the rebel base within it, leaving May to follow Brock as the two of them searched for Lance.

They found him by accident after spotting two familiar Legendary Pokèmon hovering near the former Champion.

"Lance!" May called out, getting his attention.

"May? Brock? Where's everyone else?" he asked. His eyes suddenly widened.

"Don't tell me that they were lost in the collapsed Gym-"

"No! Everyone's fine!" Brock interrupted. "We managed to get out with a secret tunnel, along with the Grunts. Silver actually disbanded Team Rocket. Right now, him, Ash, Misty and Gary are going to take Giovanni out. The others split up. We also found the missing Gym Leader Erika, who said that her Gym had been attacked by Team Rocket before the Pokèrus virus came out and she was taken prisoner."

"And the Pokèrus is actually gone from both wild and caught Pokèmon. Oh! Have you seen Jessie and James? I have someone who misses them." May added, before looking around.

_"The two people you speak of are a few blocks east from here fighting a group of Crobat." _Mewtwo said telepathically. May nodded, not even questioning that the Pokèmon was no longer infected.

"Thanks!" she shouted, running off eastward.

Lance frowned.

"So Brock, are you sure Ash, Silver, Misty and Gary can handle this?" he asked. Brock took on a serious tone.

"I'm positive that Ash will stop at nothing to defeat Team Rocket. He'll do it, no matter what."

* * *

Although they weren't expecting a welcome party or anything, seeing Indigo Plateau so eerily quiet wasn't a pleasing sight. The sun had set an hour ago, and the darkness made everything that much spookier.

On the main path leading from Victory Road's exit was bright lights coming out of the ground. They were an off-white colour that shone on the many blades of grass and gave each one it's own shadow. The lights were evenly spaced vertically between each other and they were parallel to each other, like a carpet showing them the way.

It would have been comforting if as the four of them walked towards the main doors, the light hadn't turned a nasty shade of red that brought shivers down their backs. Even Silver admitted that it wasn't the most encouraging sign. It was obvious that Giovanni knew they were there.

The inside of Indigo Plateau had completely changed from before. Instead of the floor covered with velvet carpeting, creamy coloured walls and a red rug inviting challengers to attempt a fight, it now had a tiled floor in black tiles with an _**R **_created artistically with red tiles. The walls were black now, and the only thing that was left of the old Indigo Plateau was the faded red carpet rolled out, inviting them to their doom.

As they stepped forward into the main room, a smooth, all-too-well-known voice echoed on the loudspeakers. The thought of his presence made Ash shake with fury.

_"Hello Ash, Silver. It's been too long since our last meeting."_

* * *

**Well, that's Chapter 46 for you guys! I'm probably going to stop scheduling these chapters, because writing right now isn't easy. Still, I'm doing my best. I'm sorry for those I made wait so long. I really didn't mean for it to take this long, but I just couldn't sit down and write. But I'm not doing that anymore. I have to work! **

**Anyway, this is goodbye for now.**

**Typhlosion8**


	47. Author Note

I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen, I really didn't.

I started writing "_In My Darkest Hour_" over a year ago in May, and I was so excited to finally do one of those "Ash goes to Team Rocket" things. Everyone had been doing them, and me, who was new to writing fanfiction, wanted to do one too. To be honest, I had no real plot. I was inspired by the thought of _"What if Pikachu was finally captured by Team Rocket?"_ and the story led me along. It was fun and people were reading it and they loved it! I was so happy!

But writer's block in April led me to a burn out, and I have nothing left for this. I had an awesome ending planned and everything! A big reveal, a final fight, I was so eager. But now I can't do anything for this story. So close to the ending, and the inspiration ran out. I'm sorry. I really wanted to finish this!

Anyway, thanks for sticking with this for so long. I'm sorry it came to this.

Thanks goes to:

Aipom4, AlphaAqua, Aureillia, BannanGodis, Blazing Bright Streak of Light, BulletsEdge, Bunnibutch, CaptSpeed, Celestial wrath, ChocoChipKitty, EmeraldFox01, Ethereal Scarlet, FanGirling141, Fawx999, Fyrium, Gaige's Peppy Sweetheart, Glassdrop, GoldRat, GoodIntentions317, Hello50, Iceman99, Intensity215, JazalGoldmane, Jd556, Jodonnell, Kkawa1, Kyurem888, Laties228, Lazzanator, LovingTogetic, Melody Akamine, MonkHerrick, NY514, NerdBird6253, NightVVingz, Niic-wolf, PLenni, Professor Frogenshtein, QUEENSPELLER67, RaeMeian, Rosalinda Lancaster Leonhart, Scarpine496, ShadesAngel, Shadowlightning56, Sparkling 'z, Spongebob123232, The Anime Alchemist, TheCharizardDude, TheMemoriesofYourLaugh, TheMezzerino, The Shadow Merc, Theburper, Tomboy209, Tony0423, Twistedfeather, XxCherriesandChocolatexX, X3rn345, YuNaru19, Yuki F. Karasu, 18, andrewjeeves, .522, boomingmaster, dreadfather666, helera som 1989, kumarvicky279, mazinkaiser, nico2883, pheonix84, robnast515, runswithwxlves, sidrocks123, slick1439, tmp1114, aboz567, andrewjeeves, .522, ascendance, dreadfather666, gio08, goldenshadowphoenix, helera som, j4ckpot, jezzatko , kumarvicky279, luisg1778, obsessionist97, randypandy11, remisolleke, robnast515, stardust902, and weirdperson

Special thanks to Aureillia, ChocoChipKitty, Gaige's Peppy Sweetheart, and QUEENSPELLER67

As I write this, I feel like crying a little. I'm letting you guys down, and you'll be upset. I feel awful. But I can't do this.

So... what now?

I'm going to rewrite. I'm going to start from the beginning. The only bright side to this is almost all of my story has already been done, so I know where I'm going with it. I have a plan now, at least!

Oh, I just feel terrible! I'm really sorry! I am!

Thanks again for reading.

Goodbye for now,

Typhlosion8


	48. Rewrite Now On!

**HEY YOU GUYS!**

**In My Darkest Hour is now being rewritten, and the official first chapter is now posted on my profile page! Check it out, and please continue to support me! ^_^**

**~ Typhlosion8**


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